Failure to Diagnose Cancer Medical Malpractice Explained

When a doctor fails to recognize a set of symptoms that indicates cancer, that mistake is medical negligence known as failure to diagnose. Receiving a timely diagnosis and quick treatment for cancer significantly increases the likelihood a person will survive the disease. If your doctor has failed to diagnose your cancer, you are deprived of a chance to fight back against the disease. When a doctor does not diagnose cancer, it is devastating for you and your family. If your doctor failed to diagnose your cancer, you could be eligible for financial compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, lost quality of life, and other losses related to the failure to diagnose.

Failure to diagnose is among the most common types of medical malpractice, and it is usually preventable. The experienced New York medical malpractice lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C. on Long Island have extensive experience in failure to diagnose cancer cases and have a track record of achieving favorable results for clients. These types of cases are challenging and highly technical. If you have cancer because it was not diagnosed at an earlier stage, you might have a medical malpractice claim against the doctor who failed to diagnose it.

No matter the type of medical malpractice case you are facing, the lawyers at Finz & Finz, P.C. have likely successfully helped many others with a similar claim recover compensation. Allow us to fight tirelessly for the full and fair compensation you deserve and hold the negligent medical practitioners accountable. Contact the highly skilled and compassionate New York medical malpractice attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. today at 855-TOP-FIRM for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Mistakes that Can Lead to Failure to Diagnose

If a doctor, oncologist, radiologist, or another health care practitioner fails to diagnose cancer in a timely manner, the patient could miss the window of opportunity to begin treatment before the disease has progressed.

There are many mistakes that can lead to failure to diagnose cancer, such as:

• Failing to recognize symptoms of cancer
• Not taking patient complaints seriously
• Failing to conduct the necessary diagnostic tests
• Failing to follow up on abnormal test results
• Improperly conducted tests
• Failing to perform a biopsy when needed
• Improperly sampling of blood and tissue
• Misinterpreting the results of diagnostic tests
• Failure to perform a physical examination
• Communication errors among medical staff
• Not considering the patient’s prior medical history and hereditary risk of cancer
• Misdiagnosing cancer as something else
• Mistaking cancer for another benign condition
• Failing to refer to the appropriate cancer specialist
• Failing to recommend proper cancer screening

Cancer is often not diagnosed because the doctor does not order the tests that would detect it. Common tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), mammogram, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. In some cases, the physician will run the test, but the radiologist, or x-ray doctor, will misread the film. Even if the correct test is ordered and read correctly, the doctor must still follow up with the correct treatment.

While early detection of cancer is not always possible, a trained doctor must conduct all appropriate tests to make sure that all issues are properly addressed and investigated. At Finz & Finz, P.C., our medical malpractice attorneys can gather evidence that shows medical negligence. By examining medical records, we can prepare the strongest possible case on your behalf.

Types of Failure To Diagnose Cases We Handle

The New York medical malpractice attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. handle failure to diagnose cases that involve:

• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Lung cancer
• Skin cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Mouth or tongue cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Uterine cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Testicular cancer
• Leukemia
• Other forms of cancer

Proving Medical Malpractice

A critical part of proving any malpractice claim is a thorough medical review. This includes speaking to another doctor about your cancer diagnosis and finding out tests your original doctor requested or failed to request. At Finz & Finz, P.C., we have worked with many doctors regarding failure to diagnose and can get you in contact with a highly skilled oncologist to review your medical records. If your new doctor finds out that your original doctor was guilty of negligence, you may be eligible to file a claim.

Cancer patients who experience failure to diagnose will often learn of the failure through another doctor. Those who believe that their symptoms do not match up with their doctor’s diagnosis or recommended treatment should consult another medical professional as soon as possible. The patient’s initiative in seeking a second opinion could be the only means of receiving a diagnosis. Patients who believe they were victims of failure to diagnose should consult with an experienced attorney immediately to discuss legal options.

The New York medical malpractice attorneys at Finz & Finz, P.C. understand the devastating effects that failure to diagnose can have on you and your family. We will work hard to recover compensation for the resulting from the failure to diagnose your cancer. Our attorneys are also proud to represent families who have lost a loved one by filing a wrongful death suit.

Talk to an Experienced Medical Malpractice Attorney

When you discover that your cancer could have been found and treated, you may be filled with both sadness and anger. At Finz & Finz, P.C., we understand the incredibly difficult position you are in. We understand how to uncover evidence of negligence and hold the at-fault party accountable for the harm done by failing to diagnose.

If you were harmed due to a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer, you might be able to recover compensation. The attorneys on Long Island at Finz & Finz, P.C. may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve from the liable health care providers. Call today at 855-TOP-FIRM for a free and confidential consultation with our New York medical malpractice attorneys.