Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorneys Help Victims of Medical Malpractice Get Compensation in Western PA and Throughout Pennsylvania

Any doctor will tell you that finding cancer early, before it spreads, greatly improves your chances of beating the disease. Starting the correct treatment early can reduce or eliminate the cancer, resulting in a longer or more comfortable life for the patient. Of course, the reverse is also true. If the cancer is misdiagnosed and the medical provider offers either no treatment or the wrong treatment, the patient may have a much shorter and more painful life as the cancer spreads and physicians offer more lengthy and painful treatments.

If a medical provider misdiagnosed your cancer, you have legal options. You may be eligible for compensation to cover the increased medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other costs related to the cancer misdiagnosis. At Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC, our Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys have secured millions of dollars for clients injured by the negligence of doctors, surgeons, pathologists, and other medical professionals. They can help you, too. To learn how, call for a free, no-obligation consultation.

Frequency of Cancer Misdiagnosis in Pennsylvania

Unfortunately, cancer misdiagnosis occurs more often than you might think. In May 2018, ABC News reported that a study by The Johns Hopkins University Hospital showed that cancer was misdiagnosed in one out of 71 cases, or 1.4 percent of all cases. Translated into patient numbers, medical providers misdiagnose about 18,200 cases of cancer year in the United States. In many of these cases, the misdiagnosis can prove fatal for the patient.

How Cancer Is Misdiagnosed by Pittsburgh Doctors

A misdiagnosis of cancer can be the result of different types of negligence, such as:

• Not conducting a thorough and complete physical examination.
• Not taking a careful and detailed history.
• Not communicating in a timely manner with the patients.
• Not recognizing warning signs and symptoms.
• Not offering or recommending cancer screening.
• Not offering or requiring tests because of financial concerns.
• Not interpreting radiological or laboratory test results correctly.
• Not referring the patient to appropriate specialists.
• Not communicating with other providers and facilities.
• Not obtaining genetic information about a patient’s family history of cancer.
• Not following diagnostic protocols.

If you believe a medical provider misdiagnosed your cancer for these or other reasons, talk to one of our knowledgeable Pittsburgh medical malpractice attorneys to find out about your options.

Commonly Misdiagnosed Cancers in Pennsylvania

A misdiagnosis of cancer can take the form of mistakenly diagnosing another condition, not diagnosing any illness at all, or diagnosing cancer when none exists. A misdiagnosis, of whatever type, happens more frequently with some cancers. Frequently misdiagnosed cancers include:

• Breast cancer, which can be misdiagnosed as non-cancerous cysts, breast inflammation, or fibrocystic breast disease.
• Colorectal cancer, often misdiagnosed as inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), hemorrhoids, and ulcerative colitis.
• Lung cancer, which can be misdiagnosed as respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia or tuberculosis.
• Pancreatic cancer, which is sometimes misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, gallstones, or pancreatitis.
• Cervical cancer, sometimes misdiagnosed as torn ligaments, back injury, nerve pain, and anxiety.
• Prostate cancer, which is an overdiagnosed cancer that requires men to receive debilitating but unnecessary treatment.
• Skin cancer, which is sometimes misdiagnosed as the wrong type of skin cancer, leading to the wrong treatment.

The result of cancer misdiagnosis like these include premature death, scarring and disfigurement, severe pain, expensive corrective treatment, additional aggressive and painful treatment, amputations, permanent disability, lost wages, and other serious consequences. These situations can arise after either a false diagnosis of cancer or a failure to diagnose cancer at all.

Call the Skilled Pittsburgh Medical Malpractice Attorneys at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC After a Cancer Misdiagnosis in Western PA

Contact our Pittsburgh cancer misdiagnosis lawyers for a free consultation about your legal options after a cancer misdiagnosis caused you harm or the death of a loved one. Call us today or contact us online. The Western PA law firm of Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC charges no attorney’s fees unless we win your case.