Cancer Misdiagnosis

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 550,000 people will die of cancer in the U.S. in 2008—that's more than 1,500 people every day. In fact, cancer accounts for 1 of every 4 deaths in the U.S. A timely cancer diagnosis can mean the difference between life and death. Unfortunately, cancer misdiagnoses are not uncommon. At The Berkowitz Law Firm, our medical malpractice attorneys represent individuals who have been harmed by a cancer misdiagnosis.

Misdiagnosing Cancer

Roughly 12 percent of cancer patients are initially misdiagnosed. A cancer misdiagnosis may occur in relation to:

the type of cancer
the stage of the cancer
the location of the cancer
the underlying condition
related conditions or complications

In addition, particular groups of people are more likely to have their cancer misdiagnosed: those who have no health insurance, patients covered by Medicaid, African Americans, and women over 70 years old.

How Cancer Is Misdiagnosed

The reasons for cancer misdiagnosis are numerous. Physicians, specialists, pathologists, laboratory personnel and other healthcare providers are not immune to making mistakes, or from acting negligently. Common reasons for a cancer misdiagnosis include:

a malignant (cancerous) mass is diagnosed as benign (non-cancerous)
a benign tumor is identified as malignant
a malignant lesion or tissue is missed in the biopsy
a patient is not referred to a specialist for further testing
a tumor is misclassified as to type, or graded incorrectly
tissue specimens are improperly read or interpreted
a patient at increased risk for cancer does not receive adequate screening
a physician does not notice or pay attention to the patient's complaints
a patient's case is not properly followed up when cancer should have been suspected

Losses and Damages from Cancer Misdiagnoses

Individuals who do have a malignancy that is misinterpreted or missed entirely may not receive the cancer treatment they need, or may not get the correct treatment at an early stage that could increase their chance of survival. Conversely, people who are diagnosed with cancer when there was none may undergo harmful and unnecessary treatment.

The medical malpractice attorneys at The Berkowitz Law Firm can help individuals who have been the victim of a cancer misdiagnosis. Contact one of our experienced Connecticut cancer misdiagnosis attorneys in Stamford, Connecticut or Danbury, CT today.

Stamford, CT Office

1010 Washington Blvd.
9th Floor
Stamford, Connecticut 06901

Phone: 866-314-9352
Fax: 203-324-5067

Danbury, CT Office

57 North Street Suite 206
Danbury, Connecticut 06810-5627

Phone: 203-730-1100

Bridgeport, CT Office

855 Main Street
Bridgeport, Connecticut 06604

Phone: 203-331-1940

$9,000,000.00 medical malpractice recovery against an obstetrician and a hospital whose failure to timely deliver the infant plaintiff, despite signs of fetal distress, left her severely brain damaged.
$6,100,000.00 settlement against a hospital and two physicians on behalf of a client who sustained permanent paralysis following the administration of anesthesia and prior to undergoing an anterior cervical discectomy.
$4,750,000.00 medical malpractice award on behalf of a child who sustained brain damage as a result of a hospital's negligent airway management.
$4,000,000.00 medical malpractice verdict against a gynecologist who caused the plaintiff to undergo a hysterectomy following a negligent surgical procedure and destroyed her ability to bear children.
$3,000,000.00 medical malpractice recovery against an anesthesiologist whose negligent administration of spinal anesthesia left an infant plaintiff profoundly brain damaged.
$3,000,000.00 medical malpractice settlement on behalf of a brain damaged newborn against a hospital as a result of the hospital's failure to timely deliver said newborn despite signs and symptoms of fetal distress.
$2,600,000.00 wrongful death verdict against a family practitioner and a urologist whose failure to timely diagnose prostate cancer led to the plaintiff's death.
$2,500,000.00 settlement against a radiologist for his failure to timely diagnose the plaintiff's spinal tumor which progressed to metastatic late stage cancer.
$2,450,000.00 total award against a hospital for its failure to properly restrain a hospital psychiatric patient who jumped out of a hospital window and fell three stories sustaining a permanent brain injury.
$2,300,000.00 medical malpractice settlement against a hospital following its failure to diagnose a bacterial infection causing a child to go into respiratory arrest and without oxygen for 20 minutes leading to the child's brain damage.