Breast Cancer Medical Malpractice

Breast cancer is a leading cause of death of women in the United States.

According to statistics, one in eight women in the United States develops cancer in her lifetime. The highest incidence of breast cancer is in women who are forty years and older. The key to effective management of breast cancer is timely diagnosis and treatment. Any delay in diagnosis or treatment of the condition can make recovery difficult.

Undiagnosed or Misdiagnosed

The sad part is that many cases of breast cancer go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to the negligence of doctors or laboratory staff. In some cases, negligent or incompetent doctors perform unnecessary breast cancer surgery. Such cases constitute medical malpractice, and the victim has every right to sue a negligent doctor, laboratory staff, hospital, or anyone else who has acted negligently.

Screening Methods Used to Diagnose Breast Cancer

The cases of breast cancer medical malpractice can be quite complicated, and you will require the services of a competent Missouri medical malpractice attorney to investigate and litigate the case. There are screening methods available that can diagnosis breast cancer. The common screening methods used are:

• Breast Self-Examination – It involves checking the breast for any changes in size, tenderness, or lumps. In most cases, the lumps are benign, but if someone detects a lump in the breast, she should report it to her doctor.
• Clinical Breast Exam – A health care professional performs this test. The test is performed in conjunction with a mammogram. It may involve examining the breast, underarm, and collar bone area.
• Mammogram – A kind of x-ray used for taking pictures of soft breast tissue. Mammograms show defects in the breast such as legions and lumps. The test helps doctors find defects or problems in the breast.
• Biopsy – A tissue culture is taken from the breast for examination to check for any malignant tumors.

Other Types of Medical Malpractice

If the physician fails to order or conduct any of the aforementioned tests, which leads to misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of breast cancer, it will amount to medical malpractice. There are cases when the laboratory makes an error in conducting the test or preparing the report and it may cause misdiagnosis. It can also happen that the doctor misreads the report and could not diagnose the condition. All such medical errors lead to delay in treatment, and by the time treatment actually begins the condition usually becomes worse and may warrant more intense treatment or even surgery. Such treatment may be highly expensive.

If you or your loved one has become a victim of breast cancer medical malpractice, it is important that you consult with Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

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