When it comes to medical malpractice, errors in diagnosis can lead to some of the worst injuries. As you can imagine, overlooking symptoms for something as serious as cancer could lead to a patient missing treatment they need to prevent it from getting worse. Here are some things to consider about diagnostic errors and cancer.
Misdiagnosing Symptoms
The main purpose of the diagnostic process is for the doctor to thoroughly examine their patient’s symptoms in order to arrive at the correct conclusion about their condition. Because cancer is such a widespread and varied disease, it can come with numerous possible symptoms. But, that is no excuse for a doctor failing to follow through. If a doctor stops at the first conclusion they reached without looking further, then they could easily overlook a serious problem. For example, a doctor might think that sudden weight loss and fatigue in a female patient is just a hormonal imbalance and then choose not to perform any additional tests.
Proper Evaluation
When a doctor doesn’t do their due diligence during the diagnostic process, then they might not have performed all of the tests necessary to detect cancer. In order for a doctor to conduct a successful diagnosis, it will almost always involve testing and evaluation. Both of these areas are opportunities for things to go wrong. If the testing equipment isn’t working properly or if the doctor misinterpreted the results from a blood test or x-ray, then they could overlook serious symptoms. It is the duty of your doctor to know which tests to conduct and to correctly evaluate the results.
The Consequences
Unfortunately, when a doctor makes a diagnostic error, it’s the patient that ultimately pays the price. Especially when cancer is concerned, a misdiagnosis could lead to extremely harmful consequences. Diagnostic errors mean delayed treatment of the disease so that the cancer could progress to the point that it could be fatal. With cancer, timing is everything, and the sooner it can be detected and treated, the better chances a patient has of recovering. You deserve to know the truth if you or a loved one suffered from cancer that could have been diagnosed earlier, which is why you should contact our team of medical malpractice lawyers to be on your side.
Contact The Snyder Law Firm Today
The Snyder Law Group, LLC, proudly represents clients throughout Maryland and Washington, D.C. Our experienced Baltimore attorneys understand the frustration that comes with an insurance company, medical professional, or other party that refuses to accept liability for negligent or reckless behavior. You can take heart in knowing there are talented and experienced lawyers ready to work for you. We are experienced in handling personal injury claims of medical malpractice or injury resulting from serious car and truck accidents, and have secured hundreds of millions in verdicts settlements*. Please visit our website, www.410thefirm.com, for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.