Baltimore Misdiagnosis Cancer Lawyer
When doctors fail to diagnose someone with cancer, or they mistakenly provide a cancer diagnosis when the patient is suffering from another condition, it results in serious harm. Even when a doctor correctly diagnoses cancer, but they do not do so in a timely manner, it can mean the difference between life and death. If you or someone you love has a worsened condition or suffered other harm due to a cancer misdiagnosis, you may be able to file amedical malpractice lawsuit. Our Baltimore cancer misdiagnosis lawyer can review the details of your case, answer your questions, and advise on the next steps to take.
A Cancer Misdiagnosis Costs Lives
Cancer claims almost 600,000 lives every year throughout the United States. Still, early detection and appropriate treatment can greatly improve a patient’s chance of surviving the disease. A diagnosis that is delayed or missed altogether will cause unnecessary suffering from the patient, and more aggressive treatment will be required. In the most tragic of cases, it can even lead to wrongful death. The most common causes of a delayed or missed diagnosis are as follows:
- Missing a cancer lesion during a biopsy
- A cancerous tumor being diagnosed as benign or non-cancerous
- A failure to order the appropriate testing
- A cancerous tumor is incorrectly graded, resulting in patients thinking it is not aggressive, or being incorrectly classified
- Specimens are not handled, read, or interpreted properly
- A failure of healthcare professionals to properly screen patients known to be at an increased risk of cancer
- A failure of doctors to acknowledge or understand the complaints of the patient
Patients will suffer many losses as a result of a cancer misdiagnosis. When the misdiagnosis was a result of negligence, individuals can file a claim against the doctor responsible.
False Cancer Misdiagnosis
When a patient has cancer and their doctor wrongly diagnoses it as another condition, or fails to diagnose it at all, the effects are catastrophic. It is just as devastating though, for a patient to receive a cancer diagnosis when they do not suffer from the condition.
A cancer diagnosis will always have a tremendous effect on families. People may start preparing for the future without their loved one, and the patient may even start saying good-bye to family members. All of this is very distressing and when a patient learns they do not have cancer, they may find they are still left dealing with their grief and emotional anguish.
A false cancer misdiagnosis can also cause physical harm in addition to the mental distress a person will feel. Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are very helpful when a person is battling cancer. When a person is not suffering from the illness though, these treatments can take a very serious physical toll and can also lead to catastrophic injuries. A false cancer misdiagnosis can also give rise to a medical malpractice claim, just as a delayed or missed diagnosis can.
Our Medical Malpractice Lawyers in Baltimore Can Help After a Cancer Misdiagnosis
If you or someone you love has suffered harm as a result of a cancer misdiagnosis, our Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers can help you seek the compensation you deserve. At Wais, Vogelstein, Forman, Koch & Norman, LLC, our skilled attorneys are dedicated to standing up patients and we know how to hold healthcare professionals accountable for their negligence. Call us today at 410.567.0800 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.
