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Medical Malpractice
> Failure
to Diagnose > Cancer
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.
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