A Montana man underwent nine years of chemotherapy treatments for a cancer he never had, highlighting broader concerns about medical oversight at Helena’s only hospital, St. Peter’s Health.
Anthony Olson was 33 when Dr. Thomas C. Weiner diagnosed him with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a blood disorder often described as pre-leukemia. Following the 2011 diagnosis, Olson abandoned his accounting studies and future plans, believing he had limited time to live.
Despite a negative biopsy result in late 2011, Weiner continued Olson’s chemotherapy treatments for nearly a decade. The doctor told Olson to disregard the negative result, claiming it merely proved the treatment was working.
The case came to light after St. Peter’s Health suspended and later fired Weiner in 2020, citing concerns about “harm that was caused to patients by receiving treatments… that were not clinically indicated or necessary.” Independent medical reviewers from the University of Utah and The Greeley Company later examined Olson’s case among dozens of others.
Dr. Robert LaClair, Olson’s kidney specialist, had grown concerned in 2016 when he discovered Olson was suffering from dangerous iron overload due to hundreds of blood transfusions. LaClair later acknowledged he and others at the hospital waited too long to challenge Weiner, who was earning $2 million annually and wielded significant influence within the institution.
“If any one of us came up against him, we would have been crushed,” LaClair said. “He had too much power and too much money.”
Recent testing has confirmed Olson never had MDS. In 2022, he sued St. Peter’s for malpractice and received an undisclosed settlement. Because Weiner was an employee of the hospital, he was not held personally liable.
Weiner has denied most allegations but acknowledged Olson’s unnecessary treatment. “Obviously, if I knew that he never had MDS, I wouldn’t have done it,” Weiner said. “Now, again, hindsight says that he got it needlessly, and that part of it, I’m sorry about.”
Following the cessation of chemotherapy in 2021, Olson received a kidney transplant in summer 2023. While still managing various health issues, he now faces the possibility of a longer life than originally predicted.
“I trusted that he was doing what was best for me,” Olson said. “I never really questioned that until someone else told me that there was reason to.”
Editor’s Note: This story draws from reporting by major news organizations including, Probulica, Kaiser Health News, Montana Free Press, and medical industry publications.