Cancer Misdiagnosis Can Cost You Your Life

October 3, 2009

During any diagnostic process, your doctor has a responsibility to consider any possible cause for your symptoms and order the proper tests to rule in or out a given condition. If your doctor fails to do so, he is guilty of medical malpractice.

MT.LAUREL, NJ, October 03, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- An early and accurate diagnosis of cancer is crucial to your ability to survive. Often, if your cancer is detected at a very early stage, doctors can treat it before it spreads throughout your body, giving you a much greater chance of successfully fighting it. However, when a doctor fails to properly diagnose your cancer, the consequences can be life threatening.

Unfortunately, all too often doctors are guilty of medical malpractice due to misdiagnosis of cancer. While you never want to be the recipient of bad news from your doctor, it is important to learn about the presence of this deadly disease while it is still early enough to receive the treatment you need to survive.

Common Ways Cancer Gets Misdiagnosed
There are several ways your doctor may detect the presence of cancer. It may be discovered at a routine physical examination, during a cancer screening, from laboratory test results conducted to diagnose a different problem, or due to symptoms for which you seek medical attention.

During any diagnostic process, your doctor has a responsibility to consider any possible cause for your symptoms and order the proper tests to rule in or out a given condition. If your doctor fails to do so, he is guilty of medical malpractice.

Some common reasons doctors misdiagnose cancer include:

• Failure to adequately and thoroughly perform your physical examination
• Failure to properly review your medical history
• Failure to communicate your test results to you
• Failure to recognize early warning signs and symptoms
• Failure to perform appropriate cancer screenings
• Failure to administer the proper tests to detect the presence of cancer
• Failure to properly read radiological or laboratory testing
• Failure to refer you to appropriate specialists
• Communication errors between medical professionals

Consequences of Cancer Misdiagnosis
When your doctor diagnoses your cancer at a very early stage, you often have a strong likelihood of recovery. However, a delay in your diagnosis can allow cancerous cells to multiply and spread to other organs. At this point, treatment is much more difficult and your survival rate significantly declines.

A delayed diagnosis will also often cause you to undergo much more invasive treatment in an attempt to eliminate the malignant cells from your body. This more aggressive treatment can cause you to experience significant pain and suffering.

Delayed or misdiagnosed cancer can lead to the following consequences:

• Inoperable cancer
• Premature wrongful death
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Severe physical and emotional pain
• Increased treatment costs
• Treatment which is more invasive and painful
• Increased recovery time
• Loss of limbs or organs
• Long-term or permanent disability
• Lost wages

If you have suffered needlessly due to a doctor's failure to properly diagnose your cancer, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages. It is important to consult an experienced cancer misdiagnosis lawyer immediately to find out how to best proceed with your claim.

If you have a cancer misdiagnosis claim in the New Jersey area, please contact the New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers at Weiss & Paarz P.C. today to schedule your initial consultation.

Website: http://www.njmedlaw.com

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