Cancer Patient, family to get $1M
The Record
October 18, 1988

By: Patricia Alex

Fourteen months after a Montclair doctor told her not to worry about the lumps on her right breast, Carol Geyer of Clifton learned that she had advanced breast cancer.

Mrs. Geyer, a 35-year-old mother of three young children, told Dr. Richard DiMarsico about the lumps in April 1985, shortly before the birth of her daughter. She said DeMarsico, of the Greater Montclair OB/GYN group in Montclair, did not order any testing or follow-up, telling her not to worry about the lumps.

Fourteen months later, Mrs. Geyer and her husband, Glenn, agreed to accept a settlement of nearly $1 million to end their civil lawsuit against the doctors in Superior Court in Paterson.

In agreeing to the settlement, DeMarsico and Dr. Gary DeGrande, an associate who had examined Mrs. Geyer, did not admit liability or responsibility in the case. The settlement has proved of little solace to the Geyers and their three children, ages 3, 6, and 7.

"We hope the doctors think about it," said Geyer. "Hopefully it will help other women. I just wish there was some other way they could get the information."

The Geyers together were awarded $375,000. Additionally, Geyer will receive monthly payments of $500 for the next 25 years. Each of the couple's three children will receive between $20,000 and $25,000 for each of the four years after they reach college age. Further, six payments totaling $195,000 will be paid to Geyer between 1993 and 2018.

Mrs. Geyer said she worries that the payments to her husband will fall short of the child-care costs. "It sounds large, but you have to consider the costs," she said of the settlement.

The family did not want to risk a lengthy appeal by the doctors by not accepting the settlement.

Mrs. Geyer said she is worried about her family and at the same time hopeful that she will beat the odds. "I have to be hopeful; I have three children," she said. "If there's a 2 percent chance, I hope."

Still, she is angry. "It's infuriating," she said. "I'm convinced early detection would have helped."

The settlement was reached after several days of testimony in which Mrs. Geyers attorneys presented expert witnesses to describe her condition.

Dr. John H. Glick, director of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center, testified that Mrs. Geyer's cancer was incurable and her life expectancy limited.

Contradicting the stance of the Montclair doctors, Glick said an earlier diagnosis would have given Mrs. Geyer a "significantly improved" chance of survival. DeMarsico and DeGrande have contended that earlier detection would have made little difference.

A settlement was reached before the testimony was completed. Videotaped testimony from Mrs. Geyer, who was too ill to appear in court, was scheduled to be shown next.

The attorney for DeMarsico and DeGrande did not return a phone call.