Ovarian cancer is a common risk that every woman can develop throughout their lifetime. With ovarian cancer, researchers have yet to find out what factors put one woman more at risk than another like with breast cancer. Researchers do not know which factors influence the development of ovarian cancer. Due to this lack of knowledge, it is essential that a woman knows and understands the symptoms that come with ovarian cancer.
For every cancer, quick detection is key. When a physician fails to diagnose ovarian cancer, a woman can live without experiencing any symptoms. The more progressed the cancer is, the fewer odds a woman will have in surviving it. In fact, only about 15 % of woman have stage 1 and stage 2 cancer detected early on. When it is detected this early, the 5-year survival rate is 92% successful for ovarian cancer patients. Reducing the chances of survival due to a physician’s negligence can constitute a medical malpractice claim.
The Miami Failure to Diagnose Ovarian Cancer Lawyers understand how crucial detecting any type of cancer is. When a doctor fails to do so, the patient becomes at a further risk of dying. The skilled lawyers deal with medical malpractice cases regularly and are here to fight for the rights of the victim.
The Earlier It Is Detected, The Better The Odds
The five-year survival rate when it is detected early amounts to 92% success rate of cases. What does that mean? It means when ovarian cancer is detected early in stage 1 or stage 2 and is treated, cancer has a 92% chance to be fully cured. Ovarian cancer patients diagnosed early-on is very small number. Usually, this is caused by missed signs or mistreatment by the doctor’s negligence.
Cancer is a condition that spreads very rapidly. It can affect other areas of the body. A physician needs to be extremely delicate when dealing with an ovarian cancer patient by making swift decisions and providing treatment as soon as possible.
Steps That A Physician Should Take
If a woman presents herself with symptoms that can be caused by a wide range of conditions, the thing a physician needs to do is abide by the standard of care. Things that influence the standard of care are the sex, age, medical history, and symptoms of the patient. A doctor should not just assume a patient has a condition just by simply looking at her symptoms. Further testing should be done like biopsies, swabs, ultrasounds, blood samples, among others.
When preventive measures are not taken, a doctor lacking the initiative to perform additional tests when signs indicate the presence of another condition, they could be held accountable for their neglectful omission.
What Are Some Warning Signs of Ovarian Cancer?
The symptoms of ovarian cancer are typically subtle, which is why sometimes it will not be detected early on. Some common signs include:
• More trips to the bathroom
• Pain in the pelvic
• Problems with eating; feeling full
• Sudden weight loss
• Constant bloating
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Pain in the back
It is a physician’s duty to screen a woman for ovarian cancer as a possible condition when a woman experiences one or more of these signs even though they could possibly be caused by a less serious medical condition. Tests can help rule out ovarian cancer.
Ovarian Cancer Statistics
These statistics will show how prevalent ovarian cancer is among woman:
• About 50% of woman diagnosed with ovarian cancer are over the age of 65
• Ovarian cancer is the top 5 cancer in deaths among woman
• Ovarian cancer is more prevalent in white-woman than non-white woman
• The median age of death of ovarian cancer is 70
• Risk of getting ovarian cancer is 1 in every 75
• 22,440 new cases of ovarian cancer
• The number of women that will die from ovarian cancer is approximately 14,080
• Chances of dying from ovarian cancer is 1 in ever 100
Ovarian Cancer Medical Malpractice Verdicts
Ovarian Cancer Not Diagnosed By A Fertility Doctor
Over the span of a year, a 35-year-old woman underwent many fertility treatments. She is now 41. During the treatments, she underwent many ultrasounds as part of the procedure. The results of these ultrasounds demonstrated an abnormal area in her pelvis. The fertility doctor thought nothing of it and did not do any further testing. He suspected it to be a common benign finding. He tried defending himself by saying that the cancer did not appear to have the common features of ovarian cancer. It was later determined a year later by another fertility clinic that she had stage 3 ovarian cancer. The woman was awarded $11.3 million.
Baby Powder The Cause of Ovarian Cancer
In 2012, a woman was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She alleged that the many years of using Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder caused her cancer. She was ultimately awarded over $70 million. There are many other cases with baby powder causing ovarian cancer that has compensated victims.
Failure to Diagnose Hereditary Cancer
In 1999, the family of a woman died of ovarian cancer was awarded $1.6 million. She left behind a 10-year old daughter and husband. The physician did not screen her for cancer and it was found too late even though there was a history of ovarian cancer in her family.
Miami Failure to Diagnose Ovarian Cancer Lawyers
Cancer is a medical condition that needs to immediately be diagnosed. Even a small amount of time that passes without treatment can have catastrophic repercussions for an ovarian cancer patient and reduces their chances at surviving. The ovarian cancer litigators at Percy Martinez Law Firm are knowledgeable with all the laws revolving around cancer and malpractice. When a physician does not perform the same as another physician would have done in the same situation, then the physician’s lack of performance will amount to a wrongful death claim or a medical malpractice claim.
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