Breast Cancer Misdiagnosed

Salt Lake City, Tooele and Price, Utah

Recent improvements in awareness, diagnosis, and treatment for breast cancer mean that more and more women diagnosed with it are recovering effectively and going on to live long, happy lives. At our law firm, G. Eric Nielson & Associates in Salt Lake City, UT, we have investigated many cases of breast cancer where diagnosis was late or missed altogether.

When breast cancer is misdiagnosed or not diagnosed early enough, the risk of death and serious complications becomes greater, as do the length, cost, and discomfort of treatment; and the pain and suffering of both the patient and her family.

Damages resulting from delayed diagnosis

• Disfigurement, including full and partial mastectomy
• Increased medical costs
• Painful and invasive treatment
• Protracted pain and suffering
• Death

Women who are diagnosed incorrectly with breast cancer may also suffer serious harm, including anxiety, depression, and the effects of costly, painful, and even disfiguring medical treatments.

Causes and types of misdiagnosis

Many doctors misdiagnose women suffering from breast cancer because of faulty perceptions of that woman’s risk factors. In particular, younger women who develop breast cancer are often not diagnosed promptly, simply because doctors consider breast cancer statistically unlikely for them. Even when breast cancer is more likely, many doctors fail to do the necessary tests, such as:

• Simple breast examinations
• Biopsies of lumps in the breast
• Follow-up on abnormal mammogram results

In some cases, mistakes are made, such as misdiagnosis of cancerous tumors as relatively harmless fibrocystic disease.

Any type of abnormal results-including symptoms such as nipple discharge and lumps-should be investigated thoroughly and followed up with reliable testing to ensure that not only is breast cancer diagnosed and treated promptly, but that it is diagnosed accurately.

In some cases of heart disease and prostate cancer, these same issues can arise, of inadequate screening and late diagnosis.

Get some legal help

If you or someone you love has suffered from the results of a delayed or inaccurate breast cancer diagnosis, you deserve compensation for the damages you’ve suffered, including medical costs, loss of income, and pain and suffering.

To learn more about how to get the compensation that you and your family need, call or email our Salt Lake City offices today. Our experienced medical malpractice attorneys will review your case with you in detail, and help you get started on the road to recovery today.