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Failure to Diagnose Cancer |
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 Deaths in the United States from breast, colon, lung and prostate
cancers alone account for approximately 300,000 annually. The
most important factor in determining the chance for cure is early
detection of the cancer before it spreads. Treatment options and
survival chances are directly related to and limited by the size and
spread of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. While not all cancers
can be detected early, many of the most common cancers can be
detected through screening tests and recognition of early warning
signs. Early stage 5-year survival rates for breast cancer are 94%,
for colon cancer are 91%, for prostate cancer are 87%, and for lung
cancer are 47%. Recommendations for screening tests for the four
most common cancers have been made by various medical organizations,
including the American Cancer Society. Screening for breast cancer
includes baseline and periodic screening mammography for women
beginning by age 40, physician breast examination and patient
self-examination. Mammography has the ability to detect many breast
cancers before they become large enough to be felt by either the
physician or the patient. Screening for colon cancer includes annual
testing for occult fecal blood in the stool, rectal examination by
the physician, barium enema, sigmoidoscopy and/or colonoscopy
beginning at age 50. Screening for prostate cancer includes blood
tests for prostate specific antigen (PSA) and prostate examinations
as part of a routine physical for men starting at age 40. For people
with risk factors such as smoking, screening for lung cancer
includes both chest x-rays and CT scanning. Many times, lung cancers
develop in the bronchial airways causing pneumonias while the tumor
is still small, and follow up imaging can often detect it after the
pneumonia has cleared.
Unfortunately delayed diagnoses of breast cancer can result when physicians fail to order baseline and periodic screening mammograms, radiologists misinterpret a mammogram as "normal", or treating physicians fail to perform necessary follow up testing after abnormal mammograms with repeat mammograms, ultrasounds or biopsies of a suspicious area to diagnose early breast cancer. Delays in diagnosing colon cancer can result when doctors fail to perform occult fecal blood testing and/or order diagnostic screening tests for colon cancer such as colonoscopy and/or barium enema, and when specialists fail to properly perform and/or interpret a colonoscopies and barium enema examinations. Delay in diagnosing lung cancers can result when physicians fail to order chest x-rays for screening purposes and/or after pneumonias clear up, and when radiologists misinterpret chest x-rays or CT Scans of the chest as "normal". Likewise, physicians can fail to perform manual prostate examinations in men during routine physicals or to perform blood tests for PSA levels. Any of these failures can turn a treatable tumor into untreatable cancer, resulting in premature and unnecessary death. If you feel that you or someone you know has been the victim of such errors, search our national database for a medical malpractice attorney serving your area by clicking on the gold map to the left. For more information on cancer, click on any of the links below. Related Links: DISCLAIMER The contents of this website are for informational purposes only. The information contained on this site cannot substitute for direct communication with legal or medical professionals. Nothing contained on this site shall be considered legal advice or the practice of law. Visiting this site or linking to any participating law firm shall not be considered to create an attorney-client relationship. | |||
Telephone 201.444.1644 - 877.963.3625
175 Rock Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07452 Email Britcher,Leone & Roth © 2006 by: Britcher Leone & Roth, LLC | ||||
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