Utah Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

One of the leading causes of medical malpractice claims today is failure to diagnose cancer. When you visit your physician, you expect he or she to provide medical care in accordance with standard medical procedures. If you doctor does not meet these standards, or fails to diagnose the presence of potentially life threatening cancerous cells as early as possible, your life could be in jeopardy. An early and correct diagnosis can allow you the best chance for survival.

Early detection of cancer is a key factor in the successful treatment of this disease. Detection of cancer later down the road requires more drastic forms of treatment such as higher dosages of radiation and chemotherapy. These treatments may cause pain and suffering. They will also add to the expense of your cancer treatment, and could even cause permanent disabilities themselves.

Sometimes, doctors fail to order the right tests or they simply mistake the signs of cancer for another illness.

Other common causes of cancer misdiagnosis include:

• Failure to properly review test results
• Failure to recognize symptoms of patient's cancer
• Mistaking a tumor for an infection
• Misdiagnosing a tumor as benign
• Failure to order a biopsy
• Failure to follow-up with the patient

Whatever the reason, the outcome is unacceptable. Because a timely diagnosis can be such a critical factor in the survival rate of cervical, breast, prostate and other types of cancer, mistakes like this can result in deaths that could have been prevented.

To learn more about medical negligence and your legal rights, please contact the law office of G. Eric Nielson & Associates today to schedule your initial consultation.