Berry William R MD

In my opinion, Dr Berry’s license should have been censured in 1997. He missed a clear cut diagnosis of metastatic cancer on my mother at that time. Due to his not practicing within the standard of care, her treatment was delayed for the 5 months when her cancer had recurred (metastasis).
At that time, metastatic breast cancer was pretty much a death sentence, but his overlooking the clinical facts was basically like ignoring metastatic cancer for 5 months. She may have ended up passing away anyway if Dr Berry had done his job properly and followed standard of care. However, I am confident that had Dr Berry not missed the diagnosis, she would not have ended up in agonizing pain and other terrible things that she endured during the last terrible 3 months of her life. All of that was due to the cancer having spread aggressively in the 5 month period when she should have been treated for metastatic cancer and received no treatment during that time. My mother was in excruciating suffering of the type that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. No one who is fighting cancer should have to go through what my mother endured.
A little background info to put the situation in context: My mother first had an aggressive form of breast cancer at the age of 38. Dr Barry was her oncologist at that time. 12 & ½ years later, in January of 1997, she presented to Dr Berry with neck and back (bone) pain. In her routine cancer follow up labs, her CA-​128 level was tested (this test is not used as much anymore, but at the time, it was a somewhat useful marker of cancer recurrence or metastasis). This is a case straight out of a medical textbook, bone pain and a CA-​128 level multiplying at the same time, in someone who had originally had cancer at a very young age, needs to be followed up on with further tests. Mom ended up receiving the correct diagnosis 5 months later, by her RHEUMATOLOGIST, not «Dr Berry» (in quotes because I feel that he should not have a medical license).
When my mother was at Rex hospital in and out of a coma during the last week of her life (at age 51) after she went through 3 months of pure hell, I asked Dr Berry, the following. «Why, when she was having bone pain 5 months ago, and her CA-​128 jumped from within normal range to thousands of times over normal range, did the possibility of metastasis never occur to you?». His response, made in a very cavalier manner while glancing over the top of her chart; «I guess I missed that one». I should also mention that the cancer had spread also to her liver and lungs during the 5 months when she did not receive treatment. It’s painfully ironic that my mother had considered Dr Berry a friend, admired him, and trusted him explicitly.
I am sharing this because this is most likely not the only situation that Dr Berry was negligent in ‘managing’. I have zero confidence in his competence as a physician and oncologist and do not feel that he practices within the standard of care. The only reason that I did not go to the NC Medical Board after my mother’s death was that I knew that she would not have wanted me to do this. I can’t keep it to myself any longer– if you want to live or want your loved one to have a fighting chance, please find a more competent oncologist.