No one really expects an accident when a family member is traveling in an airplane, but there are inherent risks involved, and aviation accidents do occur. When they do, victims and their families need the assistance of a qualified aviation attorney.
An early diagnosis of cancer is critical for successful treatment. However, sometimes a diagnosis of cancer is missed or delayed, both of which can lead to the spread of the cancer, causing disfiguring surgery, unnecessary chemotherapy and radiation therapy and, in some cases, death.
Sometimes there is a diagnosis, but it is incorrect. A misdiagnosis can cause a delay in treatment and dangerous prescription medication errors. Damages resulting from physician error happen more often and can be more extensive than many realize. While doctors’ improper diagnoses are seldom intentional, their lack of intent provides little comfort to those confronted with a life-altering judgment of cancer.
Common types of cancer that are often misdiagnosed include breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer. Examples of improper care in misdiagnosing cancer include:
- Failing to order proper tests
- Failing to properly read or evaluate test results
- Failing to follow up on test results, such as referring the patient to a specialist
- Failing to order more tests
- Failing to listen to patient’s complaints
- Failing to identify obvious physical findings during examination, such as a lump during a breast examination
A cancer misdiagnosis also has the potential to cause victims to develop other physical and psychological conditions that require future treatment – contributing to financial hardship and severely inhibiting the victims’ ability to sustain meaningful employment.
Cancer misdiagnosis can most frequently be attributed to:
- A non-cancerous (or benign) tumor is identified as malignant (cancerous).
- A cancerous lesion is missed in the biopsy procedure.
- A malignant mass is diagnosed as benign.
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist for further testing.
- A malignant tumor is misclassified as to type or misgraded as to aggressiveness.
- Specimens are mishandled by pathology, or improperly read or interpreted.
- Failure to follow up with a patient if cancer should have been suspected.
- Failure to adequately screen for increased risk patients (age/ethnicity/family or personal history/gender).
- Failure to understand or notice the nature of a patient’s complaints.
To help prevent the misdiagnosis of cancer or other diseases, always make sure you are clear with your physician about the symptoms that you are feeling. Do not let him/her ignore your complaints without giving you a reasonable response as to why you may be feeling the way that you do. Also, make sure that you clearly understand what your doctor is telling you. Ask questions. If tests are shown or explained to you and you do not understand them, make the physician stop and discuss them in further detail with you.
If you believe you or a loved one was misdiagnosed,
contact our medical malpractice lawyers to investigate your claim. Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. works with some of the leading doctors in the country to determine if you have a case.
We handle cases nationally with offices located in Illinois and Wisconsin.
Cancer Misdiagnosis Updates
Cancer patient settles misdiagnosis claimNEWS.com.au, Australia - Apr 24, 2008But she asked that her story be publicised, so hospitals would be forced to be more accountable and other patients would not suffer through misdiagnosis. ... |
How much longer can Harney hang on?Irish Independent, Ireland - May 3, 2008Her emotionally-charged performance during the vote of no confidence in her in the Dail last November after the Portlaoise Cancer misdiagnosis scandal, ... |
