....

It is dreadful when they get it wrong, and you have my greatest sympathy.

But lets not get things out of proportion.  85% of "suspicious" mammograms
turn out to be benign.  A cyst does not normally involve a cancer.

I am not disputing that your centre may have been negligent and failed to
spot what a reasonably competent radiographer would have detected.  The way
to know this for sure is to get a second opinion on the films.  If an
independent expert agrees that the films should have prompted further
investigation then you have a case.

However in the end we are all dependent on the educated guesswork of doctors
and sadly some errors are bound to occur.  Medicine is like that.

Tim Jackson

Here's part of what you are in for if you decide to sue.
http://www.cbc.ca/disclosure/archives/030211_cmpa/main.html

The rest:
1) your medical files could get "lost"
2) lawyer-shopping...many "beg off" stating "conflict of interest". They or
their firms represent doctors and hospitals.
3) lawyers in Ontario don't take contingency..or so my friend was told
4) news spreads fast in the medical community..you might have difficulty finding
any doctor to "touch you with a 10-foot pole"
5) who would you sue? the clinic, the hospital where the clinic is, the
radiologist..all?
6) given what Tim says it might be a "tough sell"

Do you really have time and energy (and money) to go this route?

The details might be here http://medlawsociety.tripod.com/ or a lawyer who
specializes.
Last I heard, one has one year from the time of correct diagnosis (from the time
of wrong diagnosis) to start a lawsuit.

I asked about a sore on this newsgroup a few years ago, the GP mucked around
with creams for months, it kept getting bigger, so finally 4 months later I was
seen by a general surgeon, who booked removal a month later.
At the time of removal he said he would not be doing a biopsy. So I "scammed
him".
I said "fine by me, I'm not worried, except I've heard that IBC can show up as a
sore".
At the end of the excision he reached for a vial and ploppped the tissue in.
I asked, why?  He said "biopsy". So my tactic worked.
I really wasn't worried, but deplore the "shortcuts" that are happening in our
healthcare system and decided to razz the old guy a bit.

The other route is to complain to the http://www.cpso.on.ca/
They assure that they take action, but I've only heard of "slaps on the wrists".

They can take licenses away, but I hear it's exceedingly rare. and don't even
know if they cover radiologists or breast cancer screening clinics.

http://www.oar.info/ Ontario Association of Radiologists (OAR)
http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/201/300/cdn_medical_association/forum/vol-42/is
sue-4/0001.htm

http://www.cofp.com/media/mar04_03medpost2.asp
They're suing the gov't for cutbacks..apparently

Seems to me you have bigger beasts to fight at the moment and would want all
onboard with you. (not against)

Best wishes,
J