Letter: More to the story

Editor, Daily News:

As a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Naples, I feel compelled to comment on the coverage your paper has recently given to Dr. Wendy Humphrey's wrongful death medical malpractice trial.

I only know the details of the case as you have presented them in the newspaper. I do not believe you have adequately characterized the cancer this patient suffered from. Uterine leiomyosarcoma is a rare cancer that is difficult to diagnose (as evidenced by the difficulty the pathologists had even making the diagnosis in this case).

It is highly malignant and has a poor prognosis with early development of metastatic disease.

Each day many young women are seen in this city for abnormal, irregular or heavy bleeding. Most cases of abnormal bleeding in young women are caused by non-malignant conditions. For a woman in her 30s to undergo three surgical procedures (including a hysterectomy) in the span of a few years for abnormal bleeding is an "aggressive" evaluation. It is aggressive enough that many insurance companies and Medicaid will often deny a doctor's request to proceed with the surgery.

I empathize with the patient and her family's frustration and anguish. I wish no patient, friend or family member ever had to experience the ravishes of cancer. I know Dr. Humphrey and am certain she feels the same.

However, I hope the Naples community will not allow this dedicated, hard working physician to be forgotten or belittled as the legal proceedings unfold (for most of us through this paper).

Louis F. Foley, M.D., Naples