Failure to Diagnose
The failure to diagnose a condition can be a life altering doctor mistake and in worst cases, a deadly mistake. Medical malpractice occurring from a misdiagnosis can occur when a hospital or doctor fails to observe the conditions associated with breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, appendicitis and hearth attacks. All of these conditions gone unnoticed due to the misdiagnosis of a doctor or hospital can cause serious personal injury and in some cases wrongful death.
If you or a loved one has been the victim of an Oklahoma medical malpractice, contact the personal injury lawyers at Atkins & Markoff today. Please call us toll free or fill out our contact form to discuss your misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose claim today.
Common occurrences of Failure to diagnose in Oklahoma:
- Failure to diagnose breast cancer
- Failure to diagnose colon cancer
- Failure to diagnose lung cancer
- Failure to diagnose malignant tumor
- Failure to diagnose appendicitis
- Failure to diagnose heart attacks
Failure to Diagnose Cancer – Doctor Responsibility
Medical malpractice suits arising from a doctors’ failure to diagnose cancer are among the most prevalent medical malpractice lawsuits and medical malpractice claims in our country today. As well as being among the most common medical mistakes, failure to diagnose cancer is also some of the most unfortunate instances of medical malpractice. When a person misdiagnosed with cancer looses their life or is subjected to unnecessary suffering from the hands of chemotherapy or another painful treatment, it is incredibly difficult to let it go as just an “accident”. In most cases it is essential that cancer is properly as well as promptly diagnosed in order to begin the appropriate cancer treatment. If any delay is experienced in either the correct cancer diagnosis or the administration of the cancer treatment, the patient is the one who suffers the consequences.
Misdiagnosis of cancer occurs from various mistakes and offers various consequences depending on the type of cancer. For example, cervical cancer, a cancer that is normally responsive to treatment, is detected by the use of smear tests, if a test is misread and treatment is prolonged the patient faces the possibility of infertility or even death. Misdiagnosis of breast cancer (another cancer that responds well to a timely treatment) is the cause of more negligence misdiagnosis claims in this country then any other form of disease. Misdiagnosis of breast cancer can stem from an improperly read mammogram by a radiologist or the failure of a physician to recognize early warning signs. Failure to start an early cancer treatment program for breast cancer can lead to the loss of the breast or even to death.
Colon cancer is the second leading cause of death in cancer patients. Colon cancers’ misdiagnosis is often attributed to the misinterpretation of rectal bleeding or the misreading of a colonoscopy. Cancer of the esophagus is sometimes overlooked as a result of a doctor’s not realizing the significance of severe weight loss, a prolonged cold, a severe cough, and a difficulty swallowing.
The only sure way to tell if cells are cancerous is through a biopsy. This is when a part of tissue that is suspected to be cancerous is removed and examined under a microscope to determine if cancerous cells exist. A biopsy however, is not the end all- fail proof method of discovering cancer. A misread or improperly sampled biopsy will point to the questionable tissue being devoid of cancerous cells when in fact the opposite is true.
If you have been the victim of a delayed cancer diagnosis, contact the personal injury lawyers at Atkins & Markoff Oklahoma City law office. We have experience handling failure to diagnose cancer claims. Please fill out our contact form or call us toll free, we are here to help.