Failure to Diagnose Breast Cancer

Orlando, Florida

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers. Nearly 200,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and over 40,000 will die. The difference between life and death in cancer cases is often early detection. You did your part by undergoing regular cancer screenings, so why was your cancer not detected until too late? It could be the result of medical malpractice.

If your breast cancer was not diagnosed until it had spread to other parts of your body and you suspect the delayed diagnosis was the result of medical malpractice, schedule a free consultation with the Orlando, Florida personal injury attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter today.

The Wrong Tests

Mammography is the standard diagnostic tool for detecting breast cancer, but not all mammographies are the same, and mammography is not always the right test to detect breast cancers. Failure to diagnose cancer may result from a poor choice of screening test.

Many women can get good screening results with traditional film mammography, but some women are more likely to have their cancers detected with digital mammography. According to a recent study and the recommendations of the National Cancer Institute, digital screening mammography is better for women who:

• Are under age 50, or
• Have dense breast tissue, or
• Are still menstruating, or
• Have stopped menstruating within the last 12 months.

Women who fit any of these categories should have been informed about the option to have a digital mammogram to improve chances of detecting breast cancer early.

For women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is recommended to detect cancer in the other breast. MRI detects about 90% of cancers MISSED by mammograms, and should be performed on the opposite breast of all women diagnosed with cancer in one breast.

Failure to Interpret Tests

Even the best test for detecting breast cancer can fail if improperly used. If a screener fails to see or identify suspicious tissue, the undetected cancer can grow and spread dramatically, increasing the necessity for aggressive treatments and reducing your chance of survival.

Women with breast implants should be recommended to a screener who is experienced in imaging breasts with implants. Failure to do so can decrease chances that breast cancer will be detected.

Imaging centers that use Computer Aided Detection (CAD) may put you in jeopardy. According to recent studies, the software's tendency to mark false positives may make it difficult to identify dangerous cancers, and, at least, increases additional testing.

Failure to Follow Up on Test Results

If your mammogram indicated potentially cancerous tissue, your doctor should perform diagnostic tests to identify harmful cancers. These may include biopsies and blood tests among others. If your doctor fails to perform adequate tests to identify cancers, this may lead to delayed diagnosis of breast cancer.

In addition, once breast cancer has been diagnosed, tests should be performed immediately to determine whether the cancer is localized or whether it has spread. These tests may include a bone scan, an MRI, and a Computerized tomography (CT) scan. They should be performed before you and your physician decide on a treatment plan.

If your breast cancer was not detected at an early stage, despite regular screenings, you may be able to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. Contact Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter, a southern Florida law firm experienced with delayed cancer diagnosis cases for a free consultation.