An oral surgeon who failed to properly diagnose his patient’s cancerous tongue lesion has lost an appeal against a $5000 fine for professional misconduct. In December 2017, New Plymouth-based oral and maxillofacial surgeon Dr Peter Liston was censured, fined $5000 and ordered to pay $21,000 costs following a Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal ruling. The tribunal hearing, where Liston admitted professional misconduct, related to his patient Keith Hindson, who was found to have a cancerous tongue lesion the surgeon did not properly diagnose from the biopsy results. Liston, who runs a private practice in New Plymouth, saw Hindson 12 times between 2011-2013 at Whanganui Hospital, where he worked two and a half days a week. Hindson had been referred to Liston, after complaining to his GP about having a sore tongue. During the treatment, Liston performed one incisional biopsy and two excisional biopsies, with the last performed in October 2013. This found widespread features of “carcinoma in situ” but Liston told Hindson there was “nothing nasty” about the results and reassured the man there was time to deal with the condition before it became cancerous.
