Humans have been seeking a cure for cancer for as long as we have been aware the disease existed. Such a cure may have been easier to come by if there weren’t so many different types of it and ways for cancer to attack. While we are not there yet, we have come a long way in cancer diagnosis and treatment, and, for many types, cancer does not have to be a death sentence. However, in almost all cases, treatment depends upon catching the disease in an early stage, before it has spread to multiple, or more vulnerable organs.
While most doctors do everything they can to diagnose and treat patients appropriately, sometimes mistakes are made. When a primary care physician, radiologist or other health care professional misses the signs of cancer, the delay can cause irreparable harm. What may have been a relatively easy treatment or fairly good prognosis can turn into years of suffering and a shortened life span in a very short time period.
When mistakes like this occur, it is important that those professionals be held responsible for their mistakes. Painful and debilitating treatments that may not have been otherwise necessary, extra medical expenses, lost time at work, and the emotional stress placed upon patients and loved ones should be compensated. Further, civil liability helps ensure that other doctors will do everything possible to avoid future mistakes.
Medical malpractice cases are not easy, however. Especially in misdiagnosis cases it can be hard to prove that a mistake was made and that it actually affected the course of treatment. Medical experts are required to testify, and experience in knowing how such cases are decided, and what evidence needs to be uncovered may be essential. Aside from that, having professionals who understand and know what cancer can do can help them sympathize with clients going through this ordeal. For more information, please feel free to see our cancer misdiagnosis web page.
