What Are the Causes for Cancer Misdiagnosis?
A condition that needs immediate treatment is cancer. When a person hears that they have cancer, it could be the most shocking and scary news that they have ever heard in their life. When cancer is misdiagnosed, then the cancer patient will not receive the proper treatment or the treatment in time which can result in lower chances of survival. The sooner the treatment begins, the more chances the patient has to recover from the cancer.
Contracting cancer can leave the patient and their family emotionally, financially, and physically devastated. Cancer is a condition that requires extensive treatment for a prolonged period, and even then, once the cancer has ‘disappeared’, there is always a chance that the cancer can come back. No cancer treatment is guaranteed at 100%, which makes the idea of having cancer worse because there is a possibility that the patient might never be free from this disease. Misdiagnosing cancer not only hinders the chances of a cancer patient, but it puts non-cancerous patients at risk for complications from receiving extensive cancer treatment when they didn’t have cancer to being with.
The medical malpractice lawyers in Tampa always suggest seeking the opinion of a second physician when a patient has been diagnosed with such a severe condition like cancer. Sometimes, physicians make mistakes and receiving treatment for a condition that a patient does not have can cause them more harm than if they would have actually had the condition. Victims of a cancer misdiagnosis are eligible to file a medical malpractice lawsuit against the medical professional that failed to provide a reasonable standard of care to their patient.
Causes For Cancer Misdiagnosis
There are several forms where cancer misdiagnosis can take place. The two main forms include a failure in diagnosing an existing cancer and deeming a different medical condition as cancer. Below will be listed the causes for cancer misdiagnosis:
- Not identifying or diagnosing a cancerous abrasion after a biopsy
- Diagnosing a non-cancerous or benign tumor as malignant
- Diagnosing a malignant tumor as non-cancerous
- Not looking into the patient’s symptoms or complaints
- Not observing symptoms during physical examinations
- Not ordering proper tests
- Not correctly reading tests results
- Not following-up after tests results
- Not referring patient to a specialist
Cancer misdiagnosis rates amount to as much as 28% of cancer cases. Patients should always let their doctor’s know of every symptom that they are experiencing, no matter how small they may think it is. The miss of one symptom can signify the misdiagnosis of cancer.
Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers in Tampa Serving Victims of Medical Malpractice
Cancer is a medical condition that requires swift and adequate treatment. When a medical professional does not perform their job duties with care, attention, accuracy, and effectiveness, they can misdiagnose a patient with cancer or diagnose a perfectly healthy person with cancer. The cancer misdiagnosis attorneys from Percy Martinez Law Firm empathize with victims who have had their cancer misdiagnosed. For this reason, the firm wants to hold those who were negligent during the treatment of their patients responsible for their actions or inaction.