Could slides get mixed up at the pathology lab?????

[Vicky234]

How does one determine if biopsy slides could have gotten mixed up?  If in fact my slides got mixed up - since the biopsy said I had cancer and there was no cancer in my breast after they looked at my breast tissue.  Of course, that is after they did a mastectomy.

[Vicky234]

I fouind out that you test the slides with DNA testing.  I would highly recommend that anyone facing breast cancer surgery make sure the biopsy is read by two different labs.  Something  wrong happened along the way for me - I also lost my lymph node.  I'm suffering with lymphodema now, plus a lot of nerve damage that was done during the surgery.  What a nightmare!  Please, anyone out there, get as many opinions as possible - I had no idea the pathology readings coud be wrong.   PLEASE get as many opinions about the mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy befroe you agree to surgery.  Most importantly, make sure you get to independent labs to read your biopsy slides.  They could be read wrong!  I am living proof that mistakes are made along the way.  Be extremely careful what you are told-

[japdip]

I suppose anything can happen but this would be a rare occurance indeed. I believe we addressed the problem earlier about the fact that cancer was found in the biopsy slides and not in the exam post-op. Slides are made from each specimen submitted and labeled as they are made. I'm sure the slides are still available if you would like to have them read by another independant Lab.   Regards ....