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Baltimore Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers
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Failure To Diagnose Cancer
It’s well known that one of the most effective ways to beat cancer is to take action as quickly as possible. The quicker the cancer is identified and diagnosed, the better chances you have to overcome it. In fact, a patient’s odds are greatly increased when they remain proactive throughout the process. However, when a doctor fails to make a timely cancer diagnosis, the results can be devastating. Unfortunately, a simple mistake or oversight can drastically reduce a patient’s chances at survival, in addition to causing them and their family an unbelievable amount of emotional pain and suffering. Unfortunately, medical malpractice is all too common, and those who put others at risk must be held accountable. If you or a loved one have been improperly diagnosed, it’s crucial that you speak with a Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis lawyer as quickly as possible. Call the legal team at Hyatt & Goldbloom today for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.
Common Causes Of Cancer Misdiagnosis
In many cases, a quick and decisive cancer diagnosis can be the difference between life and death. This is why there is little room for error when a doctor suspects that their patient may have cancer. Cancer misdiagnosis cases can arise from many different medical mistakes, but some of the most common reasons are as follow:
- Perform a thorough physical exam or review patient records
- Recognize symptoms of different types of cancers
- Correctly determine when a patient needs a specific type of diagnostic tests
- Properly interpret test results such as from x-rays, pap smears, or CT scans
- Identify lesions on a person’s skin as malignant
- Correctly identify a specific type of cancer
- Send a patient to a specialist for a follow-up
- Follow up with a patient regarding treatment
- Switch a client to a different treatment when their current treatment is not working
It’s also important to understand that a doctor may not be the only at-fault party in a failure to diagnose cancer lawsuit. For example, a pathologist may be to blame if the lab or an x-ray tech committed an error during a diagnostic test or failed to follow the doctor’s instructions correctly. If you or a loved one have been affected by a medical professional failing to diagnose cancer, contact an experienced Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis lawyer right away.
Types of Cancer Most Commonly Misdiagnosed
Believe it or not, any type of cancer can be misdiagnosed if a physician does not conduct a thorough and complete physical exam, order appropriate diagnostic tests, examine test results, and follow up with a patient. Without careful examination, failure to diagnose cancer can lead to a devastating outcome. That’s why it’s so crucial to work with a Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis lawyer who has frequently represented similar cases in the past. Once again, there are many types of cancer that can be misdiagnosed, but some of the most common types of misdiagnosed cancer include the following:
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in both men and women. However, diagnosing lung cancer requires a careful diagnostic. This is because the symptoms of lung cancer can vary, depending on a person’s overall health and how far the disease has progressed. Early symptoms of lung cancer may not seem like much, usually including wheezing and coughing. But if doctors are not persistent in looking for the cause of the problem, they might overlook the possibility of lung cancer and conclude their patient has a bronchial infection, asthma, the flu, or the common cold.
Breast Cancer
With the improvements of breast mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs breast cancer diagnosis has become much more effective. However, errors still occur when analyzing the diagnostic images and following up with appropriate recommendations for patients. When a medical professional does not provide the highest level of care for their patient, medical misdiagnosis becomes much more likely. If breast cancer is not diagnosed at an early stage, the likelihood of recovery becomes much lower.
Pancreatic Cancer
Those who have pancreatic cancer may experience abdominal pain, back pain, bloating, and nausea before they have exhibited other less common symptoms. Although these symptoms can be caused by a number of other medical ailments, doctors still must check every possible reason before giving an official diagnosis. If a doctor mistakenly diagnoses pancreatic cancer as irritable bowel syndrome, gallstones, or pancreatitis it can lead to a devastating outcome, especially if proper care could have been administered earlier had the cancer been found.
Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer and although it may require minimal treatment compared to other forms of cancer, it can still be deadly if not treated correctly. In fact, if the type of prostate cancer is aggressive and not diagnosed early enough, treatment can be difficult and potentially incurable. If the cancer spreads to the bladder or other organs in the body, treatments will be limited and the possibility of wrongful death is much higher.
Cancer Misdiagnosis Statistics
The likelihood of curing cancer is much higher when the cancer is caught in the early stages. Unfortunately, cancer misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis are very common and affect thousands of families every year. Shockingly, it’s estimated that approximately 10%-20% of all cases of cancer are misdiagnosed. One study found that about 28% of the mistakes made out of 583 cases were life-threatening or life-altering. Additionally, roughly 40,000 cancer patients die each year as a result of misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in a medical setting. Although this number may already seem high, many cases of cancer misdiagnosis go unreported, so the statistics surrounding cancer misdiagnosis are likely much higher than reported.
The sad truth is that cancer misdiagnosis is an ongoing problem in our country. A recent cancer misdiagnosis study conducted by Johns Hopkins Hospital reviewed tissue samples biopsied from 6,000 patients across the U.S. As a result, researchers revealed that 1 out of every 71 patients was misdiagnosed. In addition, 1 out of 5 cancers was misidentified as the wrong type of cancer. Another study by Johns Hopkins reviewed the records of patients sent to the hospital for cancer treatment following a biopsy. Pathologists found 86 diagnostic errors resulting in significant changes, such as:
- 93% of patients received a new treatment plan
- 71% had an improved prognosis
- 23% had benign instead of cancerous tumors
- 5% had cancer instead of benign tumors
In many of these cases, the original pathologists identified the wrong type of cancer, causing the patient to be treated incorrectly and leading to potentially life-threatening outcomes. These findings are so important to understand because they show how many patients are receiving no treatment, treatment when they do not need it, or the wrong type of treatment in our country on a daily basis. If you or a loved one believe there has been some kind of medical malpractice involved, you must contact a qualified cancer misdiagnosis lawyer in Baltimore as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Sue a Doctor for Not Finding Cancer?
Yes, you can sue a doctor if they fail to diagnose cancer. If a doctor misdiagnosis cancer due to negligent care or a mistake, you have the legal right to hold them accountable for medical malpractice. In fact, cancer misdiagnosis lawsuits are much more common than you might think. In a recent study by Medical News Today, it was revealed that one-third of misdiagnosis errors involve cancer. If you or a loved one have been affected by a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer in a timely manner, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact a skilled Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis lawyer today to review your case.
What Is The Average Settlement For Cancer Misdiagnosis?
First, every cancer misdiagnosis case is different, and there are many variables that play a role in your final compensation amount. However, the average settlement compensation in a cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit generally ranges from $300,000 to $600,000. Although it’s important to understand that cancer misdiagnosis cases have a rather low average compensation amount compared to other types of medical malpractice cases due to the challenges involved when proving many of these types of claims. For the best results, it’s critical that you work with an experienced Maryland cancer misdiagnosis attorney with a proven success record with similar cases.
What Types Of Cancer Are Most Commonly Misdiagnosed?
The most common misdiagnosed forms of cancer include breast cancer, colon cancer, lymphoma, and lung cancer. However, there are dozens of other forms of cancer that can lead to a cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit. Although these cases are common, it does not mean that every failure to diagnose cancer is subject to litigation. It’s recommended that you speak with a cancer misdiagnosis lawyer in Baltimore to review your case and determine if you have a strong claim or not.
Contact A Baltimore Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Today
Medical malpractice cases are generally complex and demanding, requiring the knowledge, skill, and resources of accomplished lawyers, and cancer misdiagnoses cases are no different. If you’ve been affected by the negligence of a doctor or entire hospital, you may have the right to seek compensation. Our experienced Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Hyatt & Goldbloom have a proven track record with medical malpractice cases and can provide you with the legal team you need to hold those who have wronged you or your family accountable. Call our office today for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help.