Failure to detect and diagnose cancer can cause cancerous cells to spread to other parts of the body, which may further decrease the effectiveness of your cancer treatment. Throughout the years, medical professionals have realized that cancer cases that are detected and diagnosed early are much more likely to react positively to treatment. Even so, some physicians in the United States still fail to diagnose cancer, even when the symptoms are present.
How does a physician fail to diagnose cancer?
While medical testing has been proven effective in early cancer detection, failure to diagnose cancer still takes place. A physician’s failure to competently administer cancer tests or failure to order a cancer test due to financial concern can also result in failure to diagnose cancer.
For example, radiologists can misread mammogram results, which may cause cancerous cells in the breast to enlarge or spread to other parts of the body. Furthermore, if a biopsy is misread or the cancerous cells are not sampled, this can also result in a failure to diagnose cancer.
A physician may also fail to diagnose cancer if certain physical changes in your body are not taken into consideration such as weight loss or lymph node swelling.
What is the best legal option if my physician fails to diagnose cancer?
Your best legal recourse when there is a failure to diagnose cancer is to talk to an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney about the possibility of filing an Illinois medical malpractice claim. To file a successful Illinois medical malpractice claim, you will be required to show that the medical professional acted negligently when it came to meeting the required standard of care. It must also be clear that you sustained injury as a result of the failure to diagnose cancer. An experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney can work with medical experts to investigate your case and help you determine if a medical professional’s negligence caused you further harm.
Damages Awarded For Failure to Diagnose Cancer
In addition to medical complications that will result when there is a failure to diagnose cancer, you may also suffer from economic and non-economic hardships that can be addressed in your Illinois medical malpractice claim. Filing an Illinois medical malpractice claim may enable you to get the compensation you deserve, which may account for:
- lost wages (both present and future);
- medical expenses (both present and future);
- other medical related costs; and
- pain, suffering, and mental anguish.
Fortunately, more and more medical professionals are using screening tests to help detect and diagnose cancer in the early phase, which may reduce the need for medical malpractice claims from a failure to diagnose cancer. However, the fact that these screening tests are becoming more commonplace may also have standard of care implications for those physicians that fail to order or misread these vital tests.Ways to Avoid a Failure to Diagnose Cancer: Testing Procedures Some common procedures used to aid an early cancer diagnosis include:
- Pap smears – used to detect cervical cancer in females over 40;
- Mammograms – used to detect breast cancer; and
- Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy – used to detent cancer in the rectum or colon.
Ways to Avoid a Failure to Diagnose Cancer: Early Warning Signs
While the development of cancer usually occurs sporadically, there are some common symptoms that are often associated with the presence of cancerous cells. The list below describes some of these signs, but it is not comprehensive as these signs may be symptoms of other ailments.Some of the common warning signs of cancer include, but are not limited to:
- bowel or bladder habit changes;
- uncommon bleeding;
- indigestion or difficulty swallowing;
- incessant cough; and
- lump or thickening in parts of the body.
Modern medical technology coupled with observation of cancer symptoms can drastically reduce failure to diagnose cancer. Even so, failure to diagnose cancer still happens. If your physical has failed to diagnose your cancer, your health and life can hang in the balance. The experience of a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer will prove invaluable in your case, and will fully explain your legal options for seeking compensation.
When to Contact a Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer
If you’ve suffered injuries due to a physician’s negligence or fault, then a Chicago personal injury attorney from the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. can help you file a medical malpractice claim. Contact us today for a no-cost case evaluation – 312-263-1080.
