Studies conducted over the last decade have found that shocking numbers of Americans are being misdiagnosed by their medical providers. CBS News reported on a study performed by BMJ Quality and Safety showing approximately 12 Million adults who seek outpatient medical care are misdiagnosed each year in the United States. While misdiagnosis of any illness is a problem, the consequences of misdiagnosing cancer can be catastrophic.

In this article, we will discuss the ways medical providers misdiagnose cancer, the significant problems faced by patients who are misdiagnosed with cancer (or misdiagnosed as not having cancer when they do, in fact, have cancer), and what you can do if you have been a victim of a cancer misdiagnosis.

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., we have represented individuals and families in cases involving cancer misdiagnoses throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including, for example, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, and Centre County, to name a few.

How Does A Medical Provider Misdiagnose Cancer and When Does It Create Legal Liability?

There are several ways medical providers misdiagnose cancer, and it happens more often than you would think. A recent Washington Post article found that 20 percent of patients diagnosed with serious conditions, including cancer, at top-tier medical institutions were at first misdiagnosed by their medical provider.

Medical providers may simply misinterpret your cancer symptoms as being caused by a different illness, or they may ignore your symptoms altogether, failing to suspect cancer as a cause of your symptoms. Cancer misdiagnosis can also occur when medical providers make errors in evaluating and interpreting radiological studies and other medical tests. In other cases, your medical provider may fail to perform necessary tests, fail to refer you to a specialist for proper evaluation, or simply fail to properly communicate test results and other important information to your treatment team.

These failures can result in a delayed cancer diagnosis, a failure to diagnose cancer (that is, a diagnosis of another medical condition when your symptoms are in fact caused by cancer), or diagnosis of cancer when you do not, in fact, have cancer.

What Are the Consequences of a Cancer Misdiagnosis?

A cancer misdiagnosis can result in catastrophic injury or death.

Many cancers can be treated successfully if caught early. In the case of a delayed cancer diagnosis or a failure to diagnose cancer, victims can lose valuable time during which they could be receiving treatment. By the time the proper diagnosis of cancer is made, it may be too late to avoid life-saving treatment.

In cases where a victim is incorrectly diagnosed with cancer, invasive and life-changing medical procedures and treatment may be provided when they are not necessary. For example, in one case of which we are aware, a 39-year-old male was diagnosed with kidney cancer by his urologist who misread an imaging study. Further, rather than recommending a biopsy to study the matter further, the urologist ordered the removal of the kidney. After the kidney was removed, it was discovered the victim did not have cancer, but rather a benign tumor. Not only could the victim have avoided removing the kidney, but after its removal, his other kidney began to fail, causing severe and permanent injury. This all could have been avoided if the urologist followed the standard of care and performed the biopsy to confirm or disprove his suspicion of cancer.

 

What Should YOU Do If a Loved One or Friend Is Injured or Dies as A Result of a Cancer Misdiagnosis?

YOU SHOULD CONTACT MY OFFICE IMMEDIATELY.

Like all medical malpractice cases, cases involving misdiagnosis are incredibly complex. And require an extraordinary amount of investigation Your attorney may need to obtain and review thousands of pages of medical records which will then need to be reviewed by an expert. This is an expensive and time-consuming process that must begin as soon as possible to determine whether you have a claim. You also need an attorney with a thorough knowledge of the practice of medicine and the resources necessary to take the case to trial, if necessary.

At the Law Office of Alvin F. de Levie, Esq., our attorneys have decades of experience representing individuals and families injured due to the misdiagnosis of a medical condition, including cancer. We have handled misdiagnosis and malpractice cases throughout Pennsylvania: From Philadelphia and the surrounding counties to Centre County, from Central Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh, and from the New York border to the borders of West Virginia and Maryland. If you have suffered an injury or someone died as a result of a cancer misdiagnosis, please call our firm – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – at 844-777-2529 (Toll Free) or (215) 696-3900 for a consultation. One of our team members will be in immediate contact with you. We maintain offices throughout Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, State College and Bellefonte. We are willing to meet any clients throughout the Commonwealth.