- An Idaho woman is suing a doctor for misdiagnosing her with cancer, leading to an unnecessary surgery.
- She said Dr. Ryan Cole said she had endometrial cancer, but other doctors later found she was cancer-free.
An Idaho woman is suing anti-vaxx advocate Dr. Ryan Cole for allegedly misdiagnosing her with an aggressive cancer which led to an expensive and invasive surgery, including a hysterectomy, that doctors later told her was unnecessary.
The woman, whose initials are "J.B.," said she went to her primary care provider, a nurse practitioner, in July 2021 with heavy vaginal bleeding, according to court records filed in mid-April that were obtained by Insider.
After an ultrasound came back abnormal, the nurse took a tissue biopsy, which she sent to Cole's then-laboratory, Cole Diagnostics. There, Cole examined the tissue sample and noted that J.B had a rare and aggressive form of endometrial cancer, the lawsuit says.
"I felt like I died already" when receiving the diagnosis, J.B. told the Idaho Capital Sun, which first reported on the case.
After the woman, who is in her 50s, consulted with a gynecologic oncologist, she opted for an extensive surgery to remove her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes, as well as surrounding tissue and lymph nodes, the lawsuit said.
Only after the procedure did J.B. learn she never had cancer to begin with, according to multiple doctors who examined the original sample as well as the tissue and organs that were removed, the lawsuit says — Cole had misdiagnosed her original biopsy.
"Severe mental suffering"
As a result of the misdiagnosis and surgery, J.B. experienced "severe mental suffering," including insomnia, anxiety, fear of doctors, and severe headaches, not to mention unnecessary medical bills and six weeks of healing, the lawsuit claims. Her husband also suffers from insomnia and anxiety due to the experience, the lawsuit says.
"I can't even imagine receiving that kind of a diagnosis from someone, and then spending that period of time wondering – or knowing, or believing – that you had a very serious cancer," Eric Rossman, one of the lawyers representing J.B. and her husband in the case, told the Sun. "And then just to find out, after that radical, extensive procedure, that there's really no cancer whatsoever."
J.B. and her husband are suing Cole and Cole Diagnostics for negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
The lawsuit says the couple has suffered damages worth more than $25,000 "relating to lost contribution of services, past medical expenses, supplies, nursing and physician care, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life."
Other women have also claimed that Cole has misdiagnosed them
J.B. isn't alone in her experience: In 2022, The Sun reported on two other women's claims of being misdiagnosed with cancer or precancer of their reproductive organs by Cole in the past.
Cole has long been outspoken against COVID-19 vaccines, saying, among other false claims, that they cause endometrial cancer.
In January, the Washington state Medical Commission found he had made "false and misleading statements" related to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, treatments, and masks. He also provided "negligent care" to four patients related to COVID-19, the AP reported.
While Cole no longer runs Cole Diagnostics, according to the Sun, he remains licensed in several states, including Idaho and Washington, according to the states' health departments.
Neither Cole nor J.B.'s lawyer Rossman responded to Insider's request for comment.