MISDIAGNOSED CANCER - LATE DIAGNOSED CANCER

Both misdiagnosed cancer and late diagnosed cancer are reasons for concern. If treatment is started late the opportunity for a cure may have been lost forever and almost certainly much more aggressive and radical forms of treatment will be necessary. Dependant on the type of this illness it may be diagnosed by microscopic examination, by scans or in some cases by a range of blood tests that can detect proteins that are normally released by the cancer cells.

This condition starts with a primary stage usually affecting just one area of the body. This primary stage can often be treated if caught early enough whereas with some types of this illness it is already y to late once the symptoms show. The secondary stage occurs when the affected cells from the first stage travel around the body and start to affect other areas or other organs within the body.

Misdiagnosed cancer and late diagnosed cancer are one of the most common types of medical negligence compensation claims in the UK. Considerable advances in medical knowledge have enabled doctors to effectively prevent and treat cancer via early detection, thereby minimising the possible effects. Numerous medical errors can lead to a delay in diagnosis which may prevent patients from receiving a cure and these may include lost medical records, failure to fully realise the significance of a patient’s complaints, mis-treatment and inaccurate test results.

• Carcinoma of the lung can be detected by radionuclide investigation, CAT scans, MRI scans and mediastinoscopy. Unfortunately there are pitfalls for the inexperienced or over worked health worker in all of these procedures which can lead to misdiagnosed cancer and late diagnosed cancer.
• Carcinoma of the breast often responds very positively to early treatments unfortunately misinterpretation of mammograms is all to common.
• Ovarian cancer has benefited from recent medical advances and effective treatment of is now quite possible provided that there is early diagnosis.
• Cancer of the cervix is considered a preventable condition due to pre-cancerous changes being detectable via smear tests. Treated at an early stage this illness can be avoided.
• Prostate cancer can be diagnosed at a very early stage by the use of sophisticated blood tests. Men over 50 would be well advised to have regular check-ups. This illness is fatal for 10% of those diagnosed.

If you believe that you have suffered personal injury as a result of misdiagnosed cancer or late diagnosed cancer and you would like free advice on how to claim compensation just fill in the contact form or use the helpline and a member of the Law Society panel of clinical negligence experts will phone to give free advice. Compensation in these situations cannot replace what was lost but can ease the burdens of coping with the problems that arises out of the situation. In order to know what options you have you should seek expert legal advice from specialist clinical negligence solicitors as soon as possible. Our lawyers operate a free service whereby you can meet us in person or chat over the telephone with one of our friendly experts and obtain initial advice. If you subsequently decide to proceed no further then that is your right and you will not be charged for our initial advice.