Maryland Failure to Diagnose Cancer Lawyer
When people hear the word “cancer,” the initial reaction is usually fear. While some forms are curable, especially if caught early, cancer is often a deadly disease. It can affect any part of the body and spread quickly if not treated as soon as possible.
That is why patients rely on doctors to diagnose them quickly so they can begin the treatment process. When doctors fail to diagnose cancer in a timely manner, the patient may miss a critical time frame during which treatment is most effective. If a patient misses out on treatment and the cancer spreads due to the doctor’s delayed or failed diagnosis, the doctor could be held liable.
This is called failure to diagnose and an affected patient may be able to recover compensation through a medical malpractice lawsuit. The Maryland failure to diagnose cancer lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman can assess your case and help you understand your legal options.
Examples
There are several situations in which failure to diagnose cancer can occur:
- A routine mammogram shows a lesion on a patient’s breast, but the doctor ignores it and does not conduct additional testing to confirm if it is cancer.
- A blood test indicates anomalies such as abnormal levels that point to possible cancerous tumors, but the doctor does not investigate the cause of the abnormal levels.
- A patient reports that she is experiencing abnormal menstrual periods but the doctor claims it is normal and that she should just deal with it. The woman sees a different doctor and tests later show that the woman has malignant tumors in her uterus.
Complications
Cancer patients rely on a prompt diagnosis so they have the best chance of survival. If they are not diagnosed properly, the diagnosis may not occur until the cancer reaches the later stages, when the disease has spread in the body. This makes the cancer more difficult to treat. Surgery, chemotherapy, and more aggressive treatment options may be needed, and that may not be enough. The patient will likely experience significant pain and loss of quality of life.
One of the most serious complications of failure to diagnose is death. If the cancer spreads quickly, the patient may miss their window of opportunity to be fully cured. Any treatment at this point would be solely for managing the patient’s symptoms and improving their quality of life. In severe cases of failure to diagnose, the patient may die before the doctor even diagnoses the cancer.
Contact Us Today
Managing cancer is best done when caught early. Failure to diagnose cancer is a serious problem that can cause the cancer to spread, resulting in death.
If you or a loved one suffered from a worsened medical condition due to a doctor’s mistaken diagnosis, you may have legal options. The personal injury lawyers at Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman can guide you through the process and assist you with a medical malpractice claim. Schedule a free consultation by calling 410-998-3600.
