Understanding medical negligence for cancer
Many types of cancer respond well to early treatment so receiving a late diagnosis can have a negative impact on your recovery. Some of the reasons you may want to consider making a claim are:
- GPs not making a timely referral to a specialist or misinterpreting your symptoms
- significant delays in having investigations/setting a treatment plan
- a late diagnosis meaning you need a more aggressive treatment with lasting effects
- delays resulting into the cancer spreading or not being curable anymore.
We often take on claims on behalf of loved ones who lost their family member because of a delayed or missed cancer diagnosis.
Every type of cancer is different and every patient responds differently to treatment. For that reason we have a specialist team whose expertise lies in helping patients and their loved ones understand if the treatment they received was negligent or not. Some of the key areas of cancer claims we can support with are:
Bowel Cancer
Bowel cancer, or colorectal cancer, is another condition where early detection is crucial for effective treatment. Medical negligence often arises from failing to investigate symptoms like persistent changes in bowel habits, rectal bleeding, or abdominal pain. Physicians might incorrectly diagnose these symptoms as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or haemorrhoids, leading to delayed or missed diagnosis.
Proper diagnostic procedures, including colonoscopy and faecal occult blood tests, are essential for identifying bowel cancer early. Surgical Negligence can also occur if there is a failure to follow up on positive screening results or if biopsy samples are mishandled. Delayed diagnosis of bowel cancer can result in the cancer advancing to stages where treatment becomes more complex and less effective, significantly impacting the patient’s prognosis.
Legal claims in these cases often focus on the lack of appropriate referrals to specialists or inadequate attention to patient history and risk factors. Patients affected by such negligence may be entitled to compensation for their suffering, additional medical treatments required, and diminished quality of life.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women, and early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes. Medical negligence in breast cancer cases typically involves failing to identify symptoms such as lumps, skin changes, or nipple discharge.
Doctors may overlook these signs or fail to order appropriate imaging tests like mammograms, ultrasounds, or biopsies. Misinterpretation of test results is another common issue, where radiologists might miss subtle signs of malignancy. Delay in diagnosis can lead to cancer progression, necessitating more invasive treatments like mastectomy or chemotherapy and reducing survival rates.
Legal claims for breast cancer negligence often focus on the failure to act on patient-reported symptoms, inadequate screening procedures, or errors in radiology. Patients who suffer due to delayed or missed diagnosis can seek compensation for the additional pain, suffering, and financial burden caused by more extensive treatments and the impact on their life expectancy.
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is often preventable through regular screening, making misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis particularly devastating. Medical negligence in cervical cancer cases typically involves failing to perform or correctly interpret Pap smears and HPV tests.
Symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, or unusual discharge might be overlooked or misattributed to benign conditions. Delays in diagnosing cervical cancer can allow the disease to progress to advanced stages, where treatment becomes more complex and survival rates decrease. Negligence may also involve not following up on abnormal screening results or failing to refer patients to specialists for further investigation.
Claims of medical negligence in cervical cancer cases often highlight the failure to adhere to screening guidelines or to recognize early signs of cancer. Patients impacted by these errors can pursue compensation for the harm caused, including the need for more aggressive treatments, fertility loss, or reduced life expectancy.
Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can have severe consequences for patients. Medical negligence in bladder cancer often involves failing to recognise or investigate symptoms such as blood in the urine (hematuria), frequent urination, or pelvic pain. Doctors may misattribute these symptoms to less serious conditions like urinary tract infections or kidney stones without conducting necessary diagnostic tests, such as cystoscopy or urine cytology.
A delay in diagnosing bladder cancer can result in the disease progressing to a more advanced stage, reducing the effectiveness of treatment options and lowering survival rates.
Medical negligence claims in bladder cancer cases may involve inadequate follow-up on abnormal test results or misinterpretation of imaging studies. Patients who experience such negligence may pursue compensation for the harm caused, including the need for more aggressive treatments, loss of bladder function, or reduced life expectancy.
Expert legal advice can help victims of bladder cancer misdiagnosis understand their rights and seek justice for the medical errors that affected their health outcomes.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, and early detection is critical for effective treatment. Medical negligence in lung cancer cases often involves failing to investigate persistent symptoms such as chronic cough, chest pain, or unexplained weight loss.
Doctors may misdiagnose these symptoms as respiratory infections or other non-malignant conditions without ordering necessary diagnostic tests like chest X-rays, CT scans, or biopsies. Misinterpretation of imaging results can also lead to delayed diagnosis. A delay in diagnosing lung cancer can result in the disease advancing to stages where it becomes less responsive to treatment, significantly impacting the patient’s prognosis.
Legal claims for lung cancer negligence may focus on the failure to perform appropriate diagnostic tests, inadequate follow-up on suspicious findings, or miscommunication between healthcare providers. Patients affected by such negligence can seek compensation for their suffering, additional medical expenses, and the overall impact on their quality of life.
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its subtle early symptoms, making timely diagnosis crucial. Medical negligence in pancreatic cancer cases frequently involves failing to recognize or investigate symptoms like jaundice, abdominal pain, or unexplained weight loss. These symptoms can be misattributed to more common and less serious conditions such as gallstones or gastritis.
Proper diagnostic procedures, including imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs, are essential for early detection. Delays in diagnosing pancreatic cancer can lead to the cancer becoming inoperable, significantly reducing the patient’s chances of survival.
Legal claims in pancreatic cancer negligence cases often highlight failures in recognizing early warning signs, ordering appropriate tests, or following up on abnormal results. Patients suffering due to delayed diagnosis can seek compensation for the resulting harm, including the need for more aggressive treatments, increased pain and suffering, and reduced life expectancy.
Skin Cancer
Skin cancer, including melanoma, is highly treatable if detected early. Medical negligence in skin cancer cases often involves failing to properly examine or biopsy suspicious moles or lesions. Doctors might overlook changes in size, shape, or colour of skin lesions, misdiagnosing them as benign conditions.
Delayed diagnosis can allow melanoma or other skin cancers to spread to other parts of the body, making treatment more challenging and reducing survival rates. Misinterpretation of biopsy results or failure to refer patients to dermatologists are also common issues.
Legal claims for skin cancer negligence focus on the failure to conduct thorough skin examinations, inadequate follow-up on suspicious findings, or errors in pathology. Patients affected by delayed diagnosis can seek compensation for their increased medical costs, pain and suffering, and the impact on their prognosis and quality of life.
Oral cancer
Oral (or mouth) cancer can be particularly unpleasant if diagnosed late, as it can lead to surgery to remove part of the tongue or jaw. It is unfortunately a cancer that is often diagnosed late, so it is important to be vigilant and look out for signs and symptoms of oral cancer and seek prompt guidance from your dentist and GP if you are concerned. Symptoms to look out for are lumps on your lips or inside your mouth, ulcers that don’t go away after about 3 weeks, patches of red or white areas in your mouth, a lump on your lip, in your mouth or throat, difficulty swallowing or a change in your voice.
If your dentist or GP suspects oral cancer, you should be referred to a specialist and seen within 2 weeks. It could be negligent if they don’t do this, or if the specialist does not identify the cancer when appropriate testing is carried out. The consequences of a late diagnosis not only increase the chances of the cancer spreading, but also the likelihood of needing surgery that disfigures the face/neck and interrupts your usual ability to eat and swallow. It is therefore important for a diagnosis to be made as early as possible, and for investigations to be carried out if that does not happen.
