Failure to Treat Cancer Is Serious: A Skilled Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Attorney Explains What You Need to Know
A cancer diagnosis is always a difficult reality to face. Learning that your doctor failed to diagnose and treat your cancer, however, can feel devastating. If your cancer hasn’t been diagnosed with accuracy and timeliness, you may have many concerns and questions. In this difficult time, Keller & Keller can walk you through the legal process, guiding you with over 80 years of combined experience and knowledge.
A skilled Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Attorney at Keller & Keller can work with you closely, explaining your options and advising you on the next steps. You’re not alone. Learn how you can get the support and guidance you need to fight for compensation after a failure to treat cancer. Our compassionate medical malpractice attorneys will focus on getting real results, and we’ll do all we can to fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Does Failure to Treat Cancer Mean?
A failure to treat cancer stems from a failure to diagnose cancer. Effective cancer treatment relies on early detection and diagnosis. When a medical professional fails to diagnose and treat cancer, it can have serious consequences. This could mean that the cancer is more difficult to treat.
Advanced stages can require additional, often difficult, forms of treatment and negatively impact a person’s life and circumstances. Many patients with advanced stages of cancer face more pain and a diminished quality of life. In some cases, sadly, a failure to diagnose can lead to death. Unfortunately, failure to diagnose cancer is one of the most common and dangerous types of medical malpractice.
How a Failure to Diagnose and Treat Cancer May Occur
According to a study in the Journal of Healthcare Risk Management, missed cancer diagnoses often result from diagnostic errors or errors in clinical judgment. A failure to diagnose can happen with any type of cancer, and there are several types of diagnosis or treatment errors.
Not Recognizing Symptoms Can Result in Failure to Treat Cancer
Another way cancer fails to be treated or diagnosed is when medical professionals do not recognize symptoms. A doctor or medical professional has a responsibility to examine, listen to, and observe patients to determine symptoms. If the medical professional is negligent, they may miss or not recognize symptoms, which can cause a devastating delay in cancer treatment.
Misdiagnosis Can Interfere With Treatment
A cancer misdiagnosis can occur when the cancer is not accurately diagnosed by a medical professional. This could include:
- The cancer is diagnosed as a different condition
- Another type of cancer is diagnosed
- There are inaccurate test results
It’s important to note that a misdiagnosis does not automatically qualify as medical malpractice. A qualified Albuquerque medical malpractice attorney at Keller & Keller can walk you through the type of information and deeper analysis needed to prove medical malpractice over a misdiagnosis of cancer.
Medical Errors Can Delay or Cause Problems With Cancer Treatment
There are many ways in which medical errors can occur when working with a doctor, including through testing, your doctor’s judgement, and more. Here are several common medical errors that may lead to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment:
- A doctor not performing necessary testing
- A lack of investigation into abnormal test results
- Failure to refer a patient to a specialist
- The lack of a thorough enough assessment
- Incorrect classification of tumors
- Errors in communication with the patient
- Lack of or incorrect recommendations for follow-up
- Mixing up one patient’s test results with another’s
- Lack of screening for high-risk patients
Timeliness and accuracy are important when it comes to diagnostic errors. Delays or inaccuracies can result in a failure to provide adequate treatment, which may be life-altering or even fatal for those with cancer.
Treatment Mistakes That Fail to Treat the Cancer
Other situations involve treatment that doesn’t correctly treat the cancer. These include:
- A doctor operating on the wrong body part
- Administering treatment to the wrong body part
- Treating a person for a different disease or condition
- Incorrect treatment processes, such as the wrong dosages of chemotherapy
- Creating and administering the wrong treatment plan
- Incomplete removal of a tumor
- Failure to monitor treatment or side effects
- Damage to nerves or organs during treatment
Like misdiagnosis, a lack of diagnosis, and medical errors, cancer treatment errors can be complex. Cases involving such events require detailed analysis to prove liability on the part of the medical professional. It can be difficult to know what to do if you suspect medical malpractice, but working with a qualified Albuquerque medical malpractice attorney will help you navigate the process. Keller & Keller can take on your case to get the necessary evidence and fight for your rights.
Turn to an Albuquerque Medical Malpractice Attorney Who Cares
Failure to treat cancer can take so much from you or a loved one. Nothing can alleviate the emotional distress of dealing with a failure to treat cancer, but Keller & Keller can fight for the justice and compensation you deserve. Our Albuquerque medical malpractice lawyers will work diligently on your side, drawing from our experience and knowledge in this area to ensure you receive the guidance, support, and representation you need. We’ll fight with you and for you to seek maximum compensation for your situation.
