Cancer misdiagnosis is one of the most serious forms of medical malpractice cases in Pennsylvania and often involves doctors, specialists, hospitals, etc.
Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed types of cancer are:
- lung cancer,
- skin cancer, and
- breast cancer.
Doctors and medical professionals may fail to recognize a symptom of cancer, fail to order an appropriate diagnostic test or lab or fail to properly treat or monitor a patient. In some cancer misdiagnosis cases, the medical error involves malpractice on the part of a lab, such as a mix-up or failure to provide a test result to another medical doctor.
Specialists may also fail to diagnose cancer. Dermatologists and pulmonary specialists are just some of the specialists who may fail to diagnose cancer.
Lung cancer is one of the most deadly forms of cancer, and in the early stages may be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or lung infection.
Skin cancer may be misdiagnosed as chronic skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis or rosacea. Skin cancers can hide in areas of lightened or darkened skin, such as brown spots. Like all types of cancer, early detection of skin cancer is key.
Delay in Diagnosing Cancer Made a Difference in the Outcome
For example, a Philadelphia resident is diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. On the prior year’s mammogram, a small but suspicious mass was identified, but due to the radiologist’s error, no action was taken. Neither the patient nor her family doctor were ever informed of the mass.
At the following year’s mammogram, the mass was identified as cancerous and had grown 100% larger. The cancerous mass was removed and biopsied; further testing revealed that the cancer had spread to the patient’s neck and brain. The biopsy revealed that the cancer was a fast-growing cancer. Surgical recommendation was full mastectomy and invasive cancer treatment, including extensive chemotherapy followed by radiation to the patient’s neck and part of her brain.
Here, the misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose the cancer resulted in more extensive treatment and also negatively impacted the patient’s survival rate. In this scenario, it’s highly likely that the breast cancer patient would not have needed a full mastectomy, and the cancer would likely have been limited to her breast. The treatment would have included removal of the mass rather than a full mastectomy and less intensive chemotherapy. Had the patient been diagnosed a year earlier, her 5-year and 10-year survival rates would have been much higher.
Compensation for Cancer Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania
Patients who are misdiagnosed have legal rights to be fairly compensated for the often devastating outcomes due to delayed diagnosis of cancer. When death occurs, surviving family members may seek hospital malpractice claims in Pennsylvania.
In cancer misdiagnosis medical malpractice cases, patients often seek compensation for pain and suffering, medical bills incurred due to additional cancer treatments, lost wages when disability occurs and more.
Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers
Our Pennsylvania medical and hospital malpractice lawyers represent patients in cancer misdiagnosis cases against all medical professionals including doctors, specialists, hospitals, care centers, etc. Morris Wilson Knepp Jacquette, P.C. achieved a Best Law Firm rating by U.S. News & World Report in the areas of medical malpractice law and personal injury law from 2016 until the rating was discontinued in August 2023.
We understand what’s at stake and treat our clients with the care and respect they deserve. We focus our Pennsylvania personal injury practice on complex medical malpractice cases and have recovered hundreds of millions on behalf of our clients in personal injury cases in Philadelphia, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Contact us for a free consultation. (610) 628-9883