Misdiagnosis / Delayed Diagnosis

Lancaster Misdiagnosis Lawyer

Any delay in diagnosing cancer, or a failure to diagnose cancer, can diminish the chances of recovery. Being diagnosed with cancer is in and of itself a devastating an experience. To survive, prompt treatment is required. It is important that cancer is detected at its earliest stages for the best chances of survival. Cancer misdiagnosis occurs when a healthcare provider does not detect or treat any form of cancer either aggressively enough or early enough. Cancer misdiagnosis can also occur when a doctor attributes symptoms of cancer to another disease, or does not test for cancer when obvious cancer signs exist. Timely detection of cancer is a matter of life and death. For example, breast cancer has a 95 percent survival rate when caught at its earliest stage. When breast cancer advances to “stage 4,” an individual only has a 7 percent chance of survival. Indeed, the key to successful treatment of most types of cancer is early diagnosis. Other types of common cancers for which early treatment is crucial are cancers of the prostate, cervix, colon, lung, kidney, ovaries, skin, and testicles.

Most cancer misdiagnoses are caused by a lack of proper and thorough care and testing. Some common errors include failure to find an obvious lump during a breast exam, failure to order X-rays, a CT scan or MRI, and failure to properly analyze a test result.

The results of misdiagnosis, or a delay in diagnosis can be life threatening. The chances for survival dramatically decrease as cancer may spread to other areas of the body. In addition, the costs of treating the later stages of cancer skyrocket.

If you believe that your healthcare provider failed to diagnose your cancer, or any other medical condition, in a timely manner, please contact a Lancaster Misdiagnosis Lawyer at Haggerty & Silverman. We have litigated many cases arising from misdiagnosis and delay in diagnosis, and we can help you get just compensation. To determine whether or not you have a delay or failure to diagnose case, please contact us by completing our online form or contact us by phone at 717-397-3200.