Overview
- The 61-year-old patient underwent high-dose chemotherapy and corticosteroids from January 2007 to May 2011 after the University Hospital of Pisa diagnosed terminal MALT non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- A review by the Department of Internal Medicine and Specialties in Genoa in May 2011 found no clonal lymphoid disease, confirming she never had the cancer.
- She first won €300,000 in damages for medical negligence, and the Court of Appeal of Florence added €200,000 this week, bringing the total to €500,000.
- Appeals judges said the higher award reflects five years spent fearing death and the extraordinary suffering caused by the wrongful terminal diagnosis.
- The woman says she continues treatment for immune-system problems she attributes to the erroneous therapy, and reports do not indicate a new appeal by the hospital.