Key Types of Breast Cancer Malpractice in Florida
Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the US, where Breastcancer.org reports that approximately 1 in 8 women will develop the disease during their lifetime. Researchers estimate that almost 276,500 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2020, as well as 48,500 new non-invasive cases. Fortunately, the outlook for a patient is often positive, incorporating treatment options such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and others.
However, in some cases, health care providers make mistakes in diagnosis or other areas of care for breast cancer. You should get in touch with a cancer malpractice attorney if you believe you suffered harm because of any of the following mistakes:
- Failure to Obtain a Full Medical History: There’s a strong genetic correlation when it comes to breast cancer, so it’s critical that your primary care physician and OB/GYN obtain information regarding your family history. This should occur during your first visit, when your doctor asks questions about relatives who have certain medical conditions. A detailed family history is essential for determining what types of monitoring you’ll need in the future, such as more frequent mammograms.
- Neglect with Follow Up: Due to popular public health initiatives, women are diligent in performing self-examinations for lumps or other breast abnormalities. However, a doctor could be negligent in failing to follow up when you report something that seems unusual. Even if your doctor doesn’t detect issues during a physical exam, he or she should refer you another specialist or order proper screenings to rule out the presence of a potentially cancerous tumor.
- Miscommunication Among Providers: Because initial exam, screenings, diagnosis, and treatment often involve many different treating physicians, communication and collaboration among providers is crucial. An example of failed communication that may amount to breast cancer malpractice would be a physician ordering the wrong type of mammogram. As a result, the radiologist might make a mistake when reading the image – causing the presence of a tumor to slip through the cracks. Each physician must ensure that every area of concern is resolved and communicate their findings.
- Mistakes in Reviewing Lab Screenings: In this area, the most common errors are:
- By a radiologist who doesn’t recognize anomalies or attributes cancerous tissue to another medical condition when reviewing mammogram slides; and
- By a pathologist who fails to detect issues when analyzing biopsy tissue.
As compared to other errors, mistakes in lab screenings are more likely to result in misdiagnosis of breast cancer. There could be a delay in diagnosis, in which you don’t receive essential treatment in a timely fashion. Another result could be false-positive breast cancer, potentially leading to harsh treatment you don’t need.
A Florida Breast Cancer Malpractice Lawyer Can Provide More Information
At Freidin Brown, P.A., our team is knowledgeable about the different types of breast cancer malpractice, so we can advise you on your rights. If your physician made a critical error, you may be able to recover compensation, including medical costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. To learn more about how we can help, please contact our offices in Miami or Fort Myers, Florida to schedule a free case evaluation with a member of our team.
Resource:
breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics?gclid=CjwKCAjwp-X0BRAFEiwAheRui_ddRFzYDHMTj8A-koqgriXwrSURe8NS2yj9FWfIPLeGrtkoVJ6IehoCUVAQAvD_BwE
