MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Dr. Anil Potti, who works at the Coastal Cancer Center on the Grand Strand, found himself the subject of a "60 Minutes" investigation Sunday for his work at Duke University.
The CBS News program found that many considered Dr. Potti's research as groundbreaking. Potti and his Duke team announced an experimental treatment 5 years ago. It matched chemotherapy to a patient's own genes.
But other scientists discovered errors and as 60 Minutes reported this could end up being one of the biggest medical research frauds in history.
"We had no idea 60 Minutes was going to do this," Dr. Lawrence Holt with Coastal Cancer said. "It caught us out of the blue."
Dr. Holt founded the center in Myrtle Beach almost three decades ago. There are now five branches on the Carolina coast.
"We've done a little bit of clinical research but that is an extremely small component of what we do," Holt said.
Last year the center added Anil Potti to the staff of oncologists.
"Dr. Potti has specifically never done and does not do clinical research for us," Holt said.
Holt defends the hiring, he said Potti passed thorough reviews from multiple hospital agencies and he got outstanding recommendations.
"Many Duke physicians said they would have no trouble with him taking care of their own family members," Holt said.
The South Carolina Medical Board licensed Potti to practice in April 2011 after Potti resigned from Duke. Scientists suspected Potti manipulated data in his research.
60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley interviewed Dr. Joseph Nevins on Sunday's program. Nevins ran the lab where Potti worked.
"When you look at the data, when you analyze it, is it a close call or is it abundantly clear that the data were fabricated?" Pelley asked Nevins.
"Abundantly clear," Nevins answered.
60 Minutes also reported that Potti stretched the truth on his resume claiming to be a Rhodes Scholar.
In Myrtle Beach, however, Potti's bosses think the 60 Minutes story was one-sided and they compliment Potti on the way he takes care of Grand Strand patients.
But that doesn't mean they won't keep an eye on him.
"Our main concern is for patient care and patient safety and that will continue to be our concern in the future - we will certainly look at anything that surfaces in the future and revaluate that in that context," Potti said.
Dr. Potti was not available for comment Monday.
Potti faces an investigation into research misconduct at Duke as well as lawsuits from former patients.
Click here the link below to watch the 60 Minutes report.
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