According to a Cancer Research UK study published in November 2019, 1 in 4 cancer patients experience an avoidable delay in their diagnosis. Many of these patients are incorrectly diagnosed with another illness before the cancer is found. A delay in treating cancer can cause prolonged suffering and lifelong complications, and a lengthy delay could mean the cancer is no longer curable.
If you’ve experienced a misdiagnosis or delay in cancer diagnosis, Paul Crowley & Co’s expert team of Medical Negligence lawyers are here to help you claim the compensation you deserve.
What is a Delayed Cancer Diagnosis?
In some cases, a patient will live with cancer for a long time before being diagnosed because they do not display classic symptoms. However, there are cases in which a diagnosis could have been made earlier and was not. This could be due to a number of factors, such as:
- Failure to identify potential warning signs
- Failure to make a referral for testing when symptoms arise, or
- Failure to interpret scans or biopsy samples correctly
Where a medical professional fails to diagnose cancer early enough, this could lead to the cancer “metastasizing”, which is where the primary tumour will spread to other areas of the body. This makes the cancer much more difficult to treat and could even mean that the cancer is incurable.
Dan says: “It is important that you receive the correct legal advice for a delayed or misdiagnosed cancer claim, as the compensation available will depend on your individual circumstances. At Paul Crowley & Co, we understand the problems that a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis can cause, call our medical negligence legal team and we will advise you on your best course of action”.
Dan Griffiths, Director
Paul Crowley & Co solicitors
What is a Cancer Misdiagnosis?
Cancer misdiagnosis differs from a case of delayed diagnosis as this involves a patient displaying symptoms of cancer which are misinterpreted as a different condition and therefore the cancer goes untreated.
For example, a tumour could be mistaken for a mass caused by an inflammatory condition like arthritis, or lung problems could be interpreted as complications from pneumonia.
Similar to a delayed diagnosis of cancer, a misdiagnosis leads to the cancer not being treated in the correct way. This causes prolonged pain and suffering for the patient.
If you or a loved one have suffered due to cancer being misdiagnosed, call Paul Crowley & Co Solicitors to speak to one of our specialist team of Medical Negligence solicitors today.
We are here to help…
If you think you may have a claim for Delayed Cancer Diagnosis or Cancer Misdiagnosis, call Paul Crowley & Co solicitors on 01512646588
Which types of cancer are often delayed or misdiagnosed?
Cancer is an extremely complex disease, and each patient will present slightly differently. This means that most types of cancer will sometimes be misdiagnosed or missed altogether, but the most common types include:
- Lung cancer
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Melanoma
- Lymphoma
How do you prove Delayed Cancer Diagnosis or Cancer Misdiagnosis?
In order to be successful in a claim for Medical Negligence, there are 2 essential elements that must be proved:
- Breach of Duty: The doctor who treated you must have breached their duty of care towards you as a patient.
- Causation: The breach must have caused your injury or loss.
Proving these elements will involve your solicitor obtaining expert reports from medical professionals. The type of doctor will depend on which type of doctor has breached their duty towards you, for example a General Practitioner or a radiologist.
Can I claim for Delayed Cancer Diagnosis and Cancer Misdiagnosis?
In some instances, delays or misdiagnoses are unavoidable, for example where the patient displays no symptoms prior to diagnosis. However, you may be able to make a Medical Negligence claim if your doctor has ignored symptoms you discussed with them, failed to investigate your symptoms correctly, or failed to refer you to the right specialists.
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