A delay in the diagnosis of cancer can occur when a doctor fails to identify the signs of cancer and observe the patient properly. If the treating medical professional had enough evidence of the signs and symptoms of cancer and still he couldn’t diagnose the patient, that could form the grounds for a delayed diagnosis lawsuit.
Delayed diagnosis of cancer usually leads to life-altering consequences. Patients might miss out on a critical time window during which the treatment of cancer could be the most effective. As a result, the time left to treat the disease and keep it from spreading to other parts of the body. You can hire the best Rochester Delayed Cancer Diagnosis lawyers for help.
What are the possible signs of delayed diagnosis?
Whenever there is delayed diagnosis of cancer, there are certain signs that patients will exhibit. What are they? Here are a few to take into account:
● Lack of improvement in the symptoms of the patient, in spite of an active plan of treatment that has been designed for a different condition with similar symptoms
● Failure of a doctor to order proper testing for symptoms that might indicate some other forms of cancer
● Failure of a doctor to investigate and acknowledge a few symptoms described by a patient
● Evidence of misunderstanding or miscommunication among medical professionals, like staff members within a medical facility or within facilities
What happens in case of delay in diagnosis of breast cancer?
Breast cancer is that form of cancer that is mostly diagnosed later. According to the American Cancer Society, less than 1 in every 200 breast cancer patients receive timely diagnosis and proper treatment of breast cancer. This is probably the reason why most breast cancer deaths occur in women under the age of 50.
The Mayo Clinic conducted a study to determine the increased rate of death in young cancer patietns. Among 585 breast cancer patients, 12% have reported a delay of at least 90 days between visiting a doctor and being diagnosed with breast cancer. Women with low financial status are more likely to suffer from delay in diagnosis of cancer.
How to prevent delayed diagnosis?
Experts are of the opinion that increased education and awareness might help in reducing the occurrence of delayed diagnosis of cancer. Since cancer is silent in nature, timely and proper diagnosis of the disease often depends on the ability of the patient to report unusual changes in their bodies. Cancer doesn’t cause serious physical symptoms until it crosses the later stages.
Both patients and doctors play a crucial role in preventing delayed diagnosis of cancer. Patients should have the responsibility of reporting suspicious signs and symptoms as soon as possible so that the doctors are notified of the abnormalities immediately. Likewise, doctors too have to be more alert of investigating and recognizing the symptoms of cancer in patients.
Since there is a general lack of medical education among public, doctors are the only sources of awareness. Experts suggest that more doctors should spread education and awareness of such deadly diseases.
