It is never easy to learn that you have cancer. However, this news is even more difficult to bear when a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer has delayed your ability to receive the treatment necessary to place you in the best possible position to make a full recovery.
Your chances of survival are directly related to the stage of the cancer when the disease is discovered. The failure to diagnose cancer in an early stage may also mean more painful and rigorous treatments than would have otherwise been necessary. This constitutes a breach in your doctor’s duty to provide you with high quality care. As a result, the negligent physician may be held accountable in a medical malpractice claim.
The Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer at Robbins Law, PC has witnessed many tragedies at the hands of negligent doctors who have failed to properly diagnose cancer, and we understand the burden this has placed on you and your loved ones. Our attorney will fight aggressively to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Common Types of Misdiagnosed Cancer
The following types of cancer are commonly misdiagnosed by physicians:
- Breast cancer responds well to early discovery and treatment. However, delays in diagnosis may cause the loss of one or both breasts or patient death. Failure to properly diagnose breast cancer is one of the most common types of medical malpractice lawsuits.
- Cervical cancer is easily detectable by smear tests. Survival rates are very high if detected in the early stages. Errors in screening and interpretation can cause a failure to diagnose the cancer. This may lead to infertility or wrongful death.
- Colon cancer develops when the physician fails to properly respond to complaints of rectal bleeding. This is the second leading cause of death in cancer patients.
- Esophageal cancer has distinctive symptoms that should keep competent doctors from failing to properly diagnose the disease. These symptoms include difficulty swallowing, chronic cough and severe weight loss.
- Prostate cancer usually has a great recovery rate when detected early enough. Failure to correctly diagnose prostate cancer is decreasing substantially as screening methods continue to improve.
Failure to diagnose any of these forms of cancer in the early stages is grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. The pain and suffering that patients must endure becomes more and more excruciating the longer the disease goes undetected. If this could have been easily avoidable by proper screening, then you may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages.
If you have been the victim of a doctor’s failure to diagnose your cancer, please contact our Atlanta medical malpractice lawyer today to schedule a free consultation.