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Diagnosis of Breast Cancer-It is generally observed that whenever patients complain of a lump in the breast physicians do not take it seriously. No follow up is done and there are no additional diagnostic tests conducted, like Mammograms, Sonograms and Biopsies. If you or anyone from your family has experienced such careless behavior then an expert Breast Cancer Lawyer of Cleveland can help guide you through the medical records. If your physician is found to be at fault in any one of the above listed mistakes then an specialist breast cancer lawyer of Cleveland can help determine whether or not you have a viable claim.
Breast cancer is a fatal conclusion, regardless of advancement of the cancer. According to opinions expressed by breast cancer claims attorneys of Cleveland surviving breast cancer for at least five years is dependent solely on the fact that it is diagnosed early. Some common errors that most of the physicians make during the diagnosis process are:
- Mismanagement of Records
- Misreading Mammograms
- Misdiagnosis of the Disease
- Underrating the severity of a Lump
Breast Cancer Malpractice-Delayed diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer can be disastrous.According to the reports presented by breast cancer malpractice lawyers of Cleveland more than one in ten women in the United States are diagnosed with Breast Cancer at some point during their lifetime. Majority of legal claims for medical malpractice are due to Misdiagnosis or Mistreatment of breast cancer. This illness generally responds well to treatment and if detected in time can enable patient to survive for many years.
Breast cancer attorneys of Cleveland aid in settlement of claims arising from Medical Malpractices by medical professionals related to the following commonly occurring errors:
- Unable to diagnose lump during breast examination
- Not performing a breast examination during treatment of a patient and failing to identify a clinically noticeable tumor
- Not conducting proper tests like X-rays, Mammograms, Ultrasounds, CT Scans or MRI Scans
- Identifying tumor as an infection or identifying it to be benign
- Failure to properly analyze test results
- Improper follow-up on test results
- Not conducting further tests
- Improper follow-up of patients
- Failure to ascertain cause of nipple discharge
- Not recognizing common symptoms
- Not taking a sharp pain in breast as something serious
- Failing to order a biopsy to determine if the lump is benign
- Failing to follow-up with patients regarding test results
- Misreading a mammogram
- Failing to recommend a breast removal
- Ignoring a history of acute pain in a breast
If a doctor fails to recognize the following warning signs then a breast cancer malpractice attorney of Cleveland can help file a lawsuit against the doctor and recover damages:
- A lump in the armpit
- A change in the size or shape of the breast
- Change in the skin of the breast or nipple
- Breast pain, enlargement or discomfort
- Bone pain and weight loss
- Swelling of an arm or skin ulcers
Breast cancer malpractice lawyers argue that detecting a breast cancer early makes it much more treatable. For early detection of breast cancer mammography is still considered the most important tool. About one third of breast cancers are found by mammography alone.
Physical Examination is another way of detecting breast cancers. Breast cancer malpractice lawyers of Cleveland are of the opinion that most palpable lumps are found by the women themselves or they are detected by their partners. It is advised by breast cancer malpractice lawyers of Cleveland that a lump in the breast should never be ignored even if the doctor says not to worry and the mammography is clear.
There are certain tests that can be done along with mammography and are known as followup tests. These tests are:
- High Magnification Mammography
- Ultrasound
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Sestamibi (Miraluma)
- Positron Emission Tomography Scans
- Chest X-rays
- Bone Scans
- Computed Axial Tomography Scans
- Blood Tests
Hiring a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney in Cleveland-Following are certain important elements to remember when hiring a breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney of Cleveland:
- Experience-Breast cancer misdiagnosis cases are medically complex in nature. A breast cancer delayed diagnosis attorney in Cleveland is supposed to be highly competent in interactions with experts belonging to various fields of diagnosis. Cases of these nature usually go to trial stage so it is important that the person hired has an extensive track record.
- Using Experts-Breast cancer delayed diagnosis attorneys of Cleveland are of the opinion that fighting such cases is very difficult and a combination of experts are used for determining the extent of liability. Mainly the following specialists are used depending upon the circumstances:
- Gynecologist/Obstetrician
- Radiologist specializing in breast imaging
- Breast Oncologist
- Collection of Facts-A competent breast cancer delayed lawyer of Cleveland should collect all the medical records and other records of the client like mammograms or slides. The next step is to thoroughly analyze all the information collected by taking the help of a medical expert. If it is deduced with certainty that there has been an unexcused delay in diagnosis then that case is worth pursuing further.
Determining Liability-According to the opinion of breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyer of Cleveland it is most important to determine liability. The main persons involved in the diagnosis are primary care physicians, OB/GYN's, radiologists and many others and anybody can be liable for delayed diagnosis of breast cancer.
An experienced breast cancer delayed diagnosis attorney of Cleveland explains the best way of detecting the person or specialist responsible for the wrong diagnosis. According to the attorney if there is a failure of follow up on a mass on an imaging study then a primary care physician or OBG/GYN who is doing the examination is liable. If carelessness is detected in an area of suspicion during imaging study it is the radiologist who is liable. When the mass was not properly diagnosed microscopically the pathologist is liable. Even a surgeon or radiologist performing biopsy might also be held liable.
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