Cancer Misdiagnosis and Medical Malpractice

Misdiagnosis of cancer is one of the most common types of medical malpractice claims, particularly since the fail to recognize and treat cancer early on can drastically and adversely affect a patient’s chances at remission and survival. Treatments given at an earlier stage of cancer are also less debilitating to the patient and cost less, which means a misdiagnosis can mean a more painful and stressful experience both personally and financially as well.

If you think your cancer may have been misdiagnosed, it is essential that you get in touch with a medical malpractice lawyer in your area as soon as possible to discuss your case; there are strict statutes of limitation that restrict the time frame for when suits may be filed, so the earlier you speak to an attorney the better.

Types of Malpractice Claims Based on Misdiagnosis of Cancer

There are several ways doctors can misdiagnosis cases of cancer; what follows are some of the most commonly claimed:

  • Not taking patient’s complaints of pain or other symptoms seriously
  • Not ordering the appropriate tests, x-rays, scans, MRIs, biopsies, etc.
  • Interpreting test results incorrectly and/or failing to follow up on tests
  • Failing to identify an obvious tumor or lump
  • Diagnosing a tumor as benign when it was malignant
  • Failing to recognize and identify common symptoms of a particular type of cancer


Types of Cancer in Medical Malpractice Claims

While a medical malpractice claim could be brought for the misdiagnosis of any type of cancer, there are certain types of cancer that appear more frequently in lawsuits because they are most treatable at early stages. Such types of cancer include but are not limited to the following:

  • Bladder cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Cervical cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Lung cancer
  • Oral cancer
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Pancreatic cancer
  • Prostate cancer
  • Testicular cancer

Remember, if you think your doctor may have misdiagnosed your cancer, the time to get in touch with a medical malpractice lawyer is now as the statute of limitations clock is ticking.