PRINCETON — A Mercer County woman is suing a Princeton physician for failing to discover and diagnose her cancer.
Frances Sparks filed the lawsuit against Dr. Gene B. Duremdes alleging negligence and a breach of the standard of care, according to a complaint filed in Mercer Circuit Court.
Sparks claims she saw her primary physician on Feb. 24, 2017, because she had been experiencing rectal bleeding for several weeks and was referred to Duremdes, whom she saw on March 20, 2017.
During the examination, Duremdes did not note in Sparks' medical record that she had a history of rectal bleeding and he did not document that he performed a rectal examination at the visit, but he scheduled her for a colonoscopy, which was performed on April 5, 2017, according to the suit.
Sparks claims Duremdes reported grade 2 hemorrhoids, a redundant sigmoid and transverse colon during the procedure. He provided Sparks with instructions to care for hemorrhoids and told her she did not need to have another colonoscopy for another 10 years.
Despite the procedure and hemorrhoid treatment, Sparks continued to experience rectal bleeding and discomfort and she saw Duremdes again on Dec. 5, 2017, according to the suit. At this visit, Duremdes told her he believed her hemorrhoids had improved and did not perform a rectal exam.
Sparks claims by April 2018, she was still continuing to experience rectal bleeding and she saw a gastroenterologist, Dr. Jennifer Sinclair, because of the rectal bleeding and pain. Sinclair performed "hemorrhoid binding" in April and May of 2018 and she saw Sinclair again in June 2018.
At the June 2018 appointment, Sinclair performed a flexible sigmoidoscopy, in which she discovered polypoid rectal lesions with necrosis, according to the suit. Sinclair then scheduled Sparks for a CT scan of her abdomen and pelvis on July 25, 2018, where she found "a mass-like thickening in the lower rectum."
Sparks claims she went to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on Aug. 10, 2018, where she underwent another flexible sigmoidoscopy, this time with a biopsy and endorectal ultrasound, which revealed a 6-centimeter tumor in the distal rectum.
A biopsy performed on the tumor showed adenocarcinoma, which caused Sparks to undergo extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment, according to the suit. Sparks also had to undergo a low anterior resection with loop ileostomy on Dec. 17, 2018.
Sparks claims she still has to have an ileostomy bag and will have to have another surgery later on to remove the ileostomy bag.
Duremdes was negligent in his care of Sparks because he failed to properly perform rectal exams and identify the cause of her rectal bleeding, according to the suit.
Sparks is seeking compensatory damages with pre- and post-judgment interest. She is represented by Eric J. Buckner of Katz, Kantor, Stonestreet and Buckner; and Mark R. Staun of Hartley Law Group.
The case is assigned to Circuit Judge William Sadler.
Mercer Circuit Court Case number: 19-C-287
