Cancer Misdiagnosis

Cancer affects millions of Americans each year. Even given the best possible medical care there times when it seems as though nothing can be done. However, given some phenomenal advances in medicine, specifically the treatment of cancer, there are numerous treatment alternatives being made to cancer sufferers each new year. Occasionally a patient is denied the opportunity to battle his or her cancer infliction because a medical provider failed to diagnose the cancer. A cancer misdiagnosis case typically involves a patient’s loss of chance to battle the disease and as a result sit idly by as it takes over his or her body.

Typical cancer misdiagnosis claims involve cases of lung cancer or breast cancer. when a cancer diagnosis is missed or delayed, it can significantly reduce a patient’s chances of survival, life expectancy, or opportunity to avoid significant treatment such as organ removal or amputation. As is true with any diagnosis that practice case the mere fact that cancer was not diagnosed does not mean a cancer malpractice case will be successful. When in its early stages, cancer can resemble a variety of conditions or ailments that will throw off a doctor’s ability to properly diagnose it. When the cancer is in its early stages the doctor may mistakenly assume that brain cancer is simply a case of headaches, that breast cancer is simply fibrocystic changes, or that lung cancer just a case of bronchitis.

Again, a successful cancer misdiagnosis case requires proven to things. First, that any reasonable position would have been able to properly diagnose cancer or at the very least order additional testing that would have revealed. Second, it must be shown that had the successful diagnosis made in a timely fashion, the patient would have had a better opportunity to fight the cancer with various treatment alternatives. For example, in a cancer misdiagnosis case at a time between the misdiagnosis and the correct diagnosis is only a matter of days, it may be difficult to prove the extent to which various treatment alternatives are no longer available. However, if months or years go by then affects of the cancer misdiagnosis become more obvious.