Sun owes an apology to oncologist who was sued

I was deeply saddened by the front page story, “Patient with terminal cancer sues University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center over her care” (August 28), involving Dr. Michael Schultz.

Cancer is still a very serious diagnosis in spite of the advances in treatment options. Cancer is unique and cannot be compared with other diseases like hypertension or diabetes. While the latter are predictable, the former is individual. An oncologist uses statistics and oncogenetic tests to make treatment decisions and predict outcome. However, these objective tools are based on specific groups of cancer patients with common characteristics. The only tool we have to make life and death decisions for an individual patient is personal experience.

It saddens me deeply that another young talented person lost her life to cancer (“Maryland regent, Baltimore lawyer dies of cancer in the middle of medical malpractice trial,” Sept. 1). It also saddens me that The Baltimore Sun made this story front page. Putting this story on the front page is sensationalism. Furthermore, burying the fact that the lawsuit was dismissed in a small article on a back page of the newspaper was unfair to Dr. Schultz, a local doctor with extensive experience in his field, and to the public (“Medical malpractice trial for Maryland regent, lawyer dismissed upon her death,” Sept. 3).

In my opinion, The Sun owes Dr. Schultz an apology.

Dr. Peter Hinderberger, Baltimore