FAILURE TO DIAGNOSE COLON CANCER
What Is Medical Malpractice? Doctors, hospitals, medical labs, and other medical professionals make mistakes. When those mistakes cause life-changing injuries or a preventable death, the medical profession needs to be held accountable for their actions.
When Is Failure to Diagnose Cancer Medical Malpractice?
A doctor is not responsible for a patient having cancer. A doctor can be responsible, however, for cancer misdiagnosis and the consequences of cancer misdiagnosis. When a physician fails to diagnose cancer in a timely manner, a patient is robbed of the ability to fight the disease in its early stages. The medical experts agree: The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better chance the patient has to recover and live a normal life. When a diagnosis is missed or even delayed, it can mean additional surgeries, painful and prolonged treatments or a premature death.
Failure to diagnose cancer or a delayed diagnosis of cancer generally falls into one of three categories, all of which can be the grounds for a medical malpractice claim.
- Failure to recommend and/or perform cancer screening
- Negligent performance of cancer screening/testing
- Laboratory errors causing failure to diagnose cancer
When Is Colon Cancer Medical Malpractice?
Colon cancer — or the polyps that develop into colon cancer — can be detected years before there is a problem. Failure to diagnose colon cancer in the early stages, however, can be life-threatening. Most medical experts recommend that people over 50 have regular colonoscopies so that polyps and any signs of cancer can be dealt with quickly and effectively. Questions to consider when determining if colon cancer is the result of medical malpractice include the following:
- Did the physician fail to recommend a colonoscopy?
- Were the results of the colonoscopy properly evaluated? Were any polyps removed so they could not develop into cancer?
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Contact O’Connor, Parsons & Lane for Help O’Connor, Parsons & Lane has the medical knowledge and extensive expertise handling cases involving failure to diagnose colon cancer. Having cancer is emotionally traumatic under any circumstances. Knowing that a cancer misdiagnosis was responsible for increased risk can add to the emotional impact. Our lawyers can, however, hold the person or people responsible for the failure to diagnose colon cancer accountable for their actions. If a physician's colon cancer misdiagnosis harmed you or a loved one, talk to an experienced medical malpractice lawyer at O'Connor, Parsons & Lane. Contact us at 800-586-5817, 908-928-9200 or email us. The initial consultation is free.