Failure to Diagnose Cancer Claims Lawyers

Serving New Jersey and the Philadelphia metropolitan area

While being diagnosed with cancer is a dreaded and anxiety producing event, learning that you or a loved one is in an advanced stage of cancer due to diagnostic error can be  devastating. Most forms of cancer respond to treatment if they are detected in the early stages. Early detection can mean the difference between survival and death. Due to medical malpractice, cancer is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, costing cancer patients precious time and often leading to death or permanent injury.

How and Why Cancer is Misdiagnosed

A suspicion of cancer may come up through a routine physical examination, due to results of cancer screening testing or other laboratory tests, or because of symptoms which you bring to your doctor’s attention. It is not your responsibility to know that your symptoms may indicate cancer. That is the duty of your doctor. Cancer can be overlooked or misdiagnosed in many ways including:

• Failure to take a careful and detailed history
• Failure to perform a thorough and complete physical examination
• Failure to recognize early warning signs and symptoms
• Failure to adequately follow up or communicate with the patient
• Failure to recommend tests due to financial concerns
• Failure to recommend or offer cancer screening
• Failure to refer to appropriate specialists
• Improper performance or interpretation of radiological or laboratory testing
• Communication errors between doctors and medical facilities

Types of cancer

Some types of cancer are particularly responsive to early treatment, meaning that failing to diagnose them in the early stages makes an even greater difference. Cancers which are responsive to early treatment include:

• Breast Cancer
• Cervical, Ovarian or Uterine Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Skin Cancer and Melanoma
• Testicular Cancer
• Kidney or Renal Cancer
• Lung Cancer

Injuries Caused by the Failure to Diagnose Cancer

Modern medicine has made tremendous advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.  In most types of cancer, early detection is the key to survival, since over time cancer cells multiply and eventually spread or metastasize to different parts of the body.  In addition to an increased likelihood of dying from the cancer itself, delayed cancer treatment often means more invasive and aggressive treatment, increasing the chance of death or severe damage as a side effect or complication.  For that reason, medical care throughout the United States seeks to diagnose and treat cancer as early as possible.  Types of harm caused by delayed damage of cancer can include: 

• Premature death
• Inoperable cancer
• Severe physical pain
• Scaring and disfigurement
• Treatment which is more invasive, aggressive, and painful
• Treatment which is significantly more expensive
• Loss of limbs or organs
• Significantly increased recovery time
• Lost wages
• Long-term or permanent disability

How We Can Help

No amount of money can make up for a person’s unnecessary or preventable death, or  for the added pain of knowing that premature death would probably have been avoided had health care professionals acted properly. However, premature death creates a financial burden on families, and the responsible party should bear that cost.  In addition,
delayed treatment of cancer creates additional health care costs, lost wages, and in some cases permanent disability.

 If you or a loved one has been injured or lost their life due to what you suspect may have been a failure to diagnose cancer, or a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of cancer, you may be entitled to compensation including:

• Current and future medical bills
• Current and future loss of wages
• Long-term disability
• Long-term care expenses
• Rehabilitation
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship
• Burial expenses

Collectively, New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers Michael L. Weiss, Esq. and  Robert E. Paarz, Esq. have presented over 75 medical malpractice cases relating to failure to diagnose cancer to juries and have helped many families achieve substantial financial recoveries.  They are committed to using their knowledge and experience to help any individual or family who has suffered a severe, permanent injury or death due to medical malpractice to obtain fair compensation.  If you believe you or a loved one may have experienced such an injury, please contact Weiss & Paarz, P.C., today.