Dear editor,Even though I would recognize him in the hall of the hospital, I do not personally know Dr. Zanbilowicz.I am writing this letter today to comment on how I feel the reporting of the story has been less than fair.While I do not mean to dismiss the experience of any patient who has had the terrible misfortune of a misread image or an inaccurate pathology report, it is a reality that a negative scan does not ensure that no disease exists.Any patient who feels that their health is in jeopardy certainly does the right thing by continuing to pursue an answer with other clinicians.This physician has roughly interpreted (if Internet statistics can be trusted) probably no fewer than well over half a million images for patients in the Comox Valley.The reasons we fail to at times see the obvious is perhaps unclear but not necessarily uncommon.Considering that only two to 10 cancers will be found among every 1,000 tests done, means a radiologist must examine 4,000 images (two of each breast) to detect a visible cancer. I feel that it would be virtually inevitable that cancers will be missed in spite of careful image review by even the most diligent specialist.Pathologists, radiologists and many other health care specialists are only human and make their observations based on individual perceptions. How many times have I searched and searched for my car keys only to have “another set of eyes” walk into the room and point them out to me on a table in plain sight?I admit that I know no special facts or mitigating circumstances in the case of Dr. Zanbilowicz. Perhaps after all the investigations are completed, there may indeed be some deficiencies found.However, I feel that to report his story and tie him in with those on the Mainland who were neither certified nor licensed to interpret images is extremely unfair.As a health care professional of 37 years of practice (27 of it at St. Joe’s), I absolutely know that when any error is made (regardless of its seriousness), the stomach-turning feeling and dismay felt that we may have potentially or actually “done harm” to those who have trusted us so profoundly.Again, I do not know how this will all end. I simply hope that if the radiologist involved here is found not to be negligent after all the facts are reviewed, that the paper will find the same amount of room on the front page for a week to clear his name as they have to tarnish it.Otherwise it might be hard to find.Barbara Mellin, RN,Comox