Managing Partner
Cancer is a terrible disease. In many cases, a person’s survival is dependent on early detection and diagnosis. So, when a doctor fails to diagnose cancer early, it could literally mean the difference between life and death. Following a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer, a case that may have been treatable is left to grow and spread in the patient—sometimes beyond the point of no return. In this article, we explain why an early diagnosis of cancer is crucial for treatment.
Early Diagnosis and Survival Rates
An early diagnosis is key to surviving cancer, and studies reflect this fact. For example, one cancer study in the UK found the following results:
- Nine out of 10 patients with bowel cancer will survive for a minimum of five years if the cancer is detected in its earliest stage.
- Nine out of 10 patients with breast cancer will survive for a minimum of five years if the cancer is detected in its earliest stage. However, only around 15 percent of women will survive the disease when it is detected at an advanced stage.
- Seven out of 10 patients with lung cancer will survive for a minimum of one year if the cancer is detected in its earliest stage. However, only around 14 percent of people will survive the disease when it is detected at an advanced state.
In other words, when doctors fail to diagnose and treat cancer early, the disease has a chance to spread throughout the body, making it much more difficult to treat.
Reasons for Delayed Diagnosis
There are many reasons for delayed cancer diagnoses. Often, a cancer diagnosis is delayed when the victim does not recognize the signs and symptoms of the disease. In addition, victims who experience symptoms don’t always seek immediate medical care, sometimes due to a fear of receiving bad news from the doctor.
And although delayed cancer diagnoses are sometimes the result of a lack of recognition or action on the part of the victim, they are sometimes the fault of doctors and other medical professionals. Common ways that medical professionals cause delayed cancer diagnoses include:
- Delays in sending patients in for appropriate testing
- Delays in sending patients to specialists
- Delays in scheduling appointments
- Misinterpretation of symptoms
Contact a Delayed Diagnosis Attorney
If you are a victim of a delayed cancer diagnosis in New York, you should contact an experienced delayed diagnosis lawyer as soon as possible. At Dell & Dean, PLLC, we understand the myriad challenges experienced by victims of delayed diagnosis, including expensive medical bills and painful treatments. So, when you come to us for help with your situation, we will do everything possible to obtain financial compensation on your behalf. Please contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation with one of our knowledgeable delayed diagnosis attorneys.
