I had a lump in my breast, but my regular doctor told me it was probably a cyst. I got a second opinion six months later, and my biopsy showed that I have breast cancer. Will this misdiagnosis have an effect on my treatment?

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You were right to seek a second opinion. Cancer misdiagnoses are unfortunately common, and it is up to patient to insist that all possible testing be performed to rule out the possibility of cancer.

 

In terms of treatment, your Kentucky cancer misdiagnosis could begin to cause adverse effects almost immediately. Depending on the type of cancer, your tumor was allowed to grow untreated and if it is particularly aggressive, you may face additional treatment times in as little as a few weeks.

 

If you had been correctly diagnosed, these months could have been spent finding the best course of treatment. It takes weeks to schedule a lumpectomy, have the surgery performed, and then begin a course of chemotherapy to kill off the remaining cancer cells.

 

In addition to treating the source, you will then have to have regular checkups to determine whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body. If it has, you may face additional rounds of chemotherapy and future surgeries to remove the threat. Even after your cancer has been successfully treated, you will remain in a high-risk group for cancer recurrence, which will mean higher medical expenses and more thorough testing for years to come.

 

The best indicator of success in these cases is early treatment – something you were denied by receiving a misdiagnosis. Your doctor’s negligence could have resulted in a reduced life expectancy, unnecessary suffering, or even early death, all because he failed to perform adequate medical testing.

 

If a doctor’s misdiagnosis caused delayed cancer treatment, the Louisville medical malpractice attorneys at Gray and White can help. Call us today at 800.634.8767 or fill out the contact form on the top of this page to find out your legal options in your FREE, one-on-one consultation.