When there is a cancer misdiagnosis or a missed diagnosis, it can certainly be a form of medical malpractice. Maybe the doctor made serious mistakes, such as reading charts and scans incorrectly. By missing the cancer, it has a major impact on the patient’s health and may trigger a medical malpractice lawsuit.
But what if the diagnosis is simply delayed? Say that the initial scans clearly show that the person has cancer, but that diagnosis is delayed by six months or a year because of the doctor’s mistakes or oversights. Even though the doctor does eventually get the diagnosis right, this can still have a major impact on a person’s health.
The spread of the disease
The problem is that cancer can metastasize, or spread, throughout the body. Even if it starts in one area or location, it may spread to different organs as the tumor moves through the body and the bloodstream. Some cancers that are likely to metastasize include:
- Thyroid
- Lung
- Liver
- Breast
- Pancreas
- Kidney
- Colon
In some cases, this may mean that there are no treatment options. If the cancer had been detected early, it may have been a simple surgery to remove the tumor. But after it metastasizes and spreads to other parts of the body, surgical options may no longer work. The patient may now require long-term chemotherapy or radiation treatments—or they may be told that they now have a terminal condition that could have been treated previously.
If you or a loved one has suffered harm due to a delayed diagnosis, it’s important for you to understand all of the legal options at your disposal.