Diagnosed With Cancer Only To Find Out (after Treatment) That I Didn’t Have It

Location: NJ, but the pathologist was in Atlanta GA.

Do I have a case?

In 2018, shortly after returning from my honeymoon, I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma stage 1a following a routine dermatology visit. A biopsy was taken, and the pathology report confirmed melanoma. I underwent surgery under general anesthesia, missed time from work, and experienced a severe relapse of PTSD and health-related anxiety, which I had spent over a decade managing after surviving a prior cancer diagnosis and stem cell transplant.

The melanoma diagnosis caused: • Recurring biopsies every three months with significant out-of-pocket costs • Numerous biopsy scars that could have been avoided. The main scar is 7+ inches • Increased therapy sessions and mental health expenses • Workplace accommodations due to anxiety around sun exposure and cancer-related subject matter • A large surgical scar and long-term emotional trauma • A debilitating relapse of anxiety that deeply impacted my first year of marriage • Contributed to my eventual decision to leave a long-term federal job

In 2025, during follow-up care with a new dermatologist, I was referred to a major academic medical center for further screening. As part of their standard melanoma protocol, the institution reviewed the original biopsy slides. Their pathology team determined the lesion had been misdiagnosed—it was not melanoma, but a compound dysplastic nevus with severe atypia, a non-cancerous condition that typically only requires minor outpatient treatment.

The original misdiagnosis led to years of unnecessary medical procedures, emotional distress, financial burden, and disruption to both my personal and professional life.

*The pathology report immediately after the surgery did not find any melanoma and it was suggested that the initial biopsy removed all of it