Law Advices and Legal Tips

Cancer misdiagnosis is one of the most common issues that people have with their doctors in the United States and around the world. According to an article in Forbes.com, around 12% of cancers are initially misdiagnosed in the United States alone. Many found this a difficulty because misdiagnosis can present a large number of possible damages. Whether cancer is completely missed or improperly identified is an important factor, since each situation can cause a different type of damage.

Loss of Chance
One of the most common consequences stemming from cancer misdiagnosis is a “loss of chance” – a potential fatality. This is a phrase used to describe the decreased chance of survival that a person will suffer as a result of a missed diagnosis or a late diagnosis. When cancer is present, there is often very little time to waste. Each day that the cancer goes untreated is another day that it can cause damage to a person’s system and impact his ability to live a happy life. Likewise, some forms of cancer become almost untreatable as a result of their growth or spreading. Misdiagnosis can bring this about and the damage due to “loss of chance” is used to account for a drop in survival chances.

Radiation and treatment to the wrong part of the body
Another thing that people run into when dealing with their cancer is a wrong diagnosis on where the cancer is located or how large the cancer is. This can lead to a doctor recommending a line of treatment that is harmful to the patient. Cancer treatments are notoriously difficult on the body. Chemotherapy essentially poisons the body and radiation has a negative impact on its cells. These treatments should only be done when it is absolutely necessary in an attempt to get rid of the cancer. When they are done for any other reason, the body unnecessarily suffers damage.

Cancer misdiagnosis is a serious problem that should not occur given the excellent technology available for identifying diseases in today’s medical world. When it does happen, the body may suffer tremendously. Both the loss at chance of survival and the direct damage that occurs to the body are substantial and must be accounted for.

Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm, has provided this article for informational purposes only, written by an independent author, has not reviewed or edited this article, and is not responsible for its content or accuracy.