Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer

Timely diagnosis is one of the most important factors in overcoming cancer. Caught early, many tumors can be removed or controlled before they spread. With a delayed cancer diagnosis, however, your options narrow, along with the odds of long-term survival.

Tragically, delayed or missed diagnosis of cancer remains alarmingly common. Researchers at Johns Hopkins estimate that nearly 795,000 Americans are permanently disabled or die every year because of diagnostic errors. While not all of these are cancer misdiagnoses, the National Institutes of Health reports that “Missed vascular events, infections, and cancers” account for approximately 75% of yearly diagnostic errors. In the most basic terms, this means that thousands of people each year discover, too late, that valuable treatment time has slipped away.

When avoidable delays in cancer diagnosis rob you of your options, a medical malpractice claim may be the best way to secure the resources you need for advanced care, lost income, and long-term support. The Providence cancer misdiagnosis lawyers at Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell are here to help.

Call a Rhode Island Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Lawyer for FREE

To schedule a FREE case review with one of our experienced attorneys, call Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell at 401-273-8330 today. Located in Providence, we assist victims of medical negligence throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Which Cancers See the Highest Delays in Diagnosis?

Certain cancers are repeatedly flagged in studies and malpractice claims because their early symptoms can mimic far less serious conditions or require specialized tests to confirm. Healthcare professionals, including physicians, pathologists, and radiologists, have an obligation to listen to patient concerns and experiences, order the appropriate tests, and ensure prompt and proper diagnosis. Failure to do these things can prove serious, or even fatal, for the patient.

Commonly misdiagnosed cancers include:

• Breast Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Colorectal Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Melanoma
• Lumphoma

The above are just a few examples. Timely diagnosis is important for all cancers.

Lung cancer ranks among the five diseases that cause the highest number of delayed diagnosis-related deaths. All types of cancer, however, can be misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late for reliable intervention. Researchers at Johns Hopkins suggest a 50% reduction in diagnostic errors could cut permanent disabilities and deaths by 150,000 per year.

Dealing with the consequences of a delayed cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. On top of the diagnosis itself, there can be a significant amount of uncertainty about your future and the future of those you love.

A delayed cancer diagnosis lawyer will fight for the compensation you need to access advanced treatments, cover lost wages, and address your personal pain and suffering. This allows you to focus on what’s really important: doing everything possible to recover and spending time with your loved ones.

Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Complications

Even the slightest delay in diagnosing cancer can result in:

• Cancer Progression. Tumors often progress from Stages I-II (localized) to Stages III-IV (regional or metastatic) in the months between a missed and correct diagnosis. This can reduce survival rates and eliminate less aggressive treatment options.
• More Aggressive Therapy. Advanced cancers usually require combinations of surgery, high-dose chemotherapy, and radiation. These treatments carry higher risks of infection, organ damage, and lifelong side effects.
• Higher Costs and Financial Strain. Later-stage cancer care can cost two to four times more than early-stage treatment, draining family savings, retirement accounts, and college funds.
• Emotional Trauma. Patients experiencing delayed cancer diagnosis might have increased anxiety, depression, and fear. They may also suffer from a permanent loss of faith in the healthcare system.

When you are the victim of a delayed cancer diagnosis, the complications and consequences can be severe. Having an experienced medical malpractice lawyer on your side helps to ensure all of the costs and losses associated with your misdiagnosis are accounted for, and maximum compensation is sought.

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Delayed Cancer Diagnosis?

Liability in a delayed cancer diagnosis claim can extend to any provider or facility whose negligence allowed the disease to advance. This can include:

• Primary care physicians who ignore red-flag symptoms or fail to order appropriate imaging, lab work, or specialist referrals.
• Radiologists who misread mammograms, CT scans, MRIs, or X-rays.
• Pathologists and labs that mix up specimens or misinterpret biopsy slides.
• Specialists, such as oncologists, dermatologists, and gastroenterologists, who downplay concerning findings or delay follow-up testing.
• Hospitals and imaging centers that lack proper quality controls, understaff critical departments, or allow communication breakdowns between teams.

In some cases, a delayed or misdiagnosis of cancer may be the result of multiple parties’ negligence. When you are seeking compensation, it’s important that each of these be identified to ensure justice is served.

At Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell, our Rhode Island medical malpractice lawyers and in-house medical specialists conduct thorough investigations into delayed cancer diagnosis to identify all liable parties. By holding all of the negligent parties accountable, we can pursue maximum compensation.

How Can a Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Lawyer Help?

When a delayed diagnosis of cancer is the result of negligence, you can seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. These cases are, however, extremely difficult to prepare, present, and win. Having an experienced and proven legal team on your side helps to ensure your rights are protected while you seek the damages you are owed.

Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell has spent nearly 50 years helping medical malpractice victims seek justice. Our experienced cancer misdiagnosis lawyers:

• Investigate quickly and thoroughly. We work swiftly to obtain medical records, imaging studies, pathology slides, and electronic communications related to your treatment.
• Work with internal and external medical experts. We work with experts and specialists from multiple fields to dissect timelines and pinpoint each instance where your care fell below standard practice.
• Carefully calculate your losses. We consider present and future medical expenses, lost earnings, home-care needs, and all other financial expenses, along with issues like pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life.
• Fight for full compensation. Whether through negotiations or in court, we refuse to settle for less than what you are entitled to. Our trial-tested and award-winning attorneys are ready to take cases as far as needed to secure fair and full compensation.

A delayed cancer diagnosis can turn your life upside down. Our compassionate and attentive lawyers are here to help set things right again.

Contact Our Delayed Cancer Diagnosis Lawyers for a Complimentary Case Review

To schedule a cost-free case review with one of our delayed cancer diagnosis attorneys, contact Mandell, Boisclair & Mandell online or call our Providence office today. Our firm has a nearly five-decade-long track record of helping victims of medical malpractice in Rhode Island and Massachusetts secure the compensation they need to make the fullest recovery possible.