Finnish doctor suspected of misdiagnosis in Ireland
Pathologist denies "false rumours"
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A doctor who had received two reprimands in Finland, is suspected of having made a number of incorrect cancer diagnoses while working in Ireland recently.
Pathologist Antoine Geagea, 57, has become the central figure in a cancer diagnisis scandal in Ireland in recent days. He had previously worked at the Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) from where he was on a recuperation leave.
The Lebanese-born Geagea, who has lived in Finland for decades, worked in Ireland in 2006-2007 in at least two different hospitals. Now two separate teams of investigators are looking into his breast cancer diagnoses.
Geagea was registered as a doctor in Ireland in the autumn of 2006. According to reports in the Irish press, he worked at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) from December 2006 through March 2007.
In July-August this year Geagea worked at Cork University Hospital (CUH) for seven weeks. The hospital says that he resigned his post at the request of the hospital management.
Cancer diagnosis at UCHG is now under investigation by Ireland's Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).
Cork University Hospital is having an independent laboratory in London investigate the diagnoses made by Geagea.
The hospital said on Monday that investigations are in the final stretch, and findings should come out in the coming weeks. According to Irish press reports, Geagea had conducted 166 cancer studies in Cork over a period of seven weeks, 15 of which would have been called into question.
The hospital itself would not comment on the press reports because the investigation is not finished.
Geagea's family enterprise Cancercenter continues to operate in Helsinki. It is a private laboratory, which examines and analyses samples taken at both public and private hospitals. HUS does not use the services of Cancercenter.
Geagea is back in Helsinki now, and is working as an administrative pathologist at his company. Previously he was the managing director of the company but now his wife holds the position.
In 2004 and 2006 Geagea was reprimanded by Finland's National Authority for Medicolegal Affairs (TEO) for misdiagnoses. In once case a woman with breast cancer was initially given a clean bill of health.
"In the other case, he interpreted a sample as indicating cancer. When the patient's breast had been removed, it was seen that there was no cancer", says head physician Ursula Vala of TEO.
Irish authorities have been in contact with TEO over the matter.
"We are waiting for detailed information on what has occurred in Ireland. It remains to be seen what will happen with his right to practice his profession in Finland", Ursula Vala says.
Antoine Geagea left his main job as ward physician at the Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital in the spring of 2006, at about the time that he got his second reprimand. His superiors at HUS's HUSLAB were surprised late last week to hear that Geagea, who had been placed on leave for health problems, had been working in Ireland.
"In May 2006 his ability to work had declined from 2003 when he had been named to the post", says Lasse Lehtonen, an administrative physician at HUSLAB.
Lehtonen says that most of the samples handled by HUSLAB are examined by two pathologists.
"Now and then there are deviations in quality. If there are problems linked with a person's ability to work, measures are taken."
Antoine Geagea himself denies making false cancer diagnoses while in Ireland.
"This is false information. Before my arrival some cases of breast cancer had been left unnoticed, and it has been investigated thoroughly in Ireland. These are false rumours", he says.
Geagea says that he had taken a leave of absence from his post as ward physician at Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital in the spring of 2006, and gone to London for training in taking Pap smears. While he was on the course, he had been offered a trainee position in Ireland at University College Hospital Galway.
"I was there for about half a year in 2006 to 2007. Then from July to August Cork University Hospital invited me for a visit, because there were not enough pathologists who examine cell samples there."
Geagea criticises the laboratory at Cork Hospital as old-fashioned. "I resigned because the situation in the laboratory was bad."
Now he works as an administrative pathologist at his family's company Cancercenter. There are four other pathologists working in the company.
"In recent months other pathologists have mainly examined the samples", says managing director Sari Geagea.
Pathologist Antoine Geagea, 57, has become the central figure in a cancer diagnisis scandal in Ireland in recent days. He had previously worked at the Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital of the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) from where he was on a recuperation leave.
The Lebanese-born Geagea, who has lived in Finland for decades, worked in Ireland in 2006-2007 in at least two different hospitals. Now two separate teams of investigators are looking into his breast cancer diagnoses.
Geagea was registered as a doctor in Ireland in the autumn of 2006. According to reports in the Irish press, he worked at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) from December 2006 through March 2007.
In July-August this year Geagea worked at Cork University Hospital (CUH) for seven weeks. The hospital says that he resigned his post at the request of the hospital management.
Cancer diagnosis at UCHG is now under investigation by Ireland's Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).
Cork University Hospital is having an independent laboratory in London investigate the diagnoses made by Geagea.
The hospital said on Monday that investigations are in the final stretch, and findings should come out in the coming weeks. According to Irish press reports, Geagea had conducted 166 cancer studies in Cork over a period of seven weeks, 15 of which would have been called into question.
The hospital itself would not comment on the press reports because the investigation is not finished.
Geagea's family enterprise Cancercenter continues to operate in Helsinki. It is a private laboratory, which examines and analyses samples taken at both public and private hospitals. HUS does not use the services of Cancercenter.
Geagea is back in Helsinki now, and is working as an administrative pathologist at his company. Previously he was the managing director of the company but now his wife holds the position.
In 2004 and 2006 Geagea was reprimanded by Finland's National Authority for Medicolegal Affairs (TEO) for misdiagnoses. In once case a woman with breast cancer was initially given a clean bill of health.
"In the other case, he interpreted a sample as indicating cancer. When the patient's breast had been removed, it was seen that there was no cancer", says head physician Ursula Vala of TEO.
Irish authorities have been in contact with TEO over the matter.
"We are waiting for detailed information on what has occurred in Ireland. It remains to be seen what will happen with his right to practice his profession in Finland", Ursula Vala says.
Antoine Geagea left his main job as ward physician at the Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital in the spring of 2006, at about the time that he got his second reprimand. His superiors at HUS's HUSLAB were surprised late last week to hear that Geagea, who had been placed on leave for health problems, had been working in Ireland.
"In May 2006 his ability to work had declined from 2003 when he had been named to the post", says Lasse Lehtonen, an administrative physician at HUSLAB.
Lehtonen says that most of the samples handled by HUSLAB are examined by two pathologists.
"Now and then there are deviations in quality. If there are problems linked with a person's ability to work, measures are taken."
Antoine Geagea himself denies making false cancer diagnoses while in Ireland.
"This is false information. Before my arrival some cases of breast cancer had been left unnoticed, and it has been investigated thoroughly in Ireland. These are false rumours", he says.
Geagea says that he had taken a leave of absence from his post as ward physician at Kätilöopisto Maternity Hospital in the spring of 2006, and gone to London for training in taking Pap smears. While he was on the course, he had been offered a trainee position in Ireland at University College Hospital Galway.
"I was there for about half a year in 2006 to 2007. Then from July to August Cork University Hospital invited me for a visit, because there were not enough pathologists who examine cell samples there."
Geagea criticises the laboratory at Cork Hospital as old-fashioned. "I resigned because the situation in the laboratory was bad."
Now he works as an administrative pathologist at his family's company Cancercenter. There are four other pathologists working in the company.
"In recent months other pathologists have mainly examined the samples", says managing director Sari Geagea.
Helsingin Sanomat