Failure to Diagnose and Treat Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, but patients often experience good outcomes if it is found and treated before it spreads. Fortunately, there are standard tests doctors can conduct to determine if a person has breast cancer that allow for diagnoses at very early stages. If a doctor does not take note of a woman’s health history or symptoms and fails to conduct appropriate tests, though, it can lead to a missed or delayed diagnosis of the disease, which often makes it substantially harder to treat. If you or a loved one suffered losses due to a doctor’s failure to diagnose and treat breast cancer, you may be able to recover significant damages and should speak to a lawyer. The capable Cape Cod medical malpractice attorneys of The Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III can inform you of your potential claims and help you to seek the maximum compensation available under the law. We have more than one hundred and fifty years of mutual experience representing people harmed by incompetent medical care, we have obtained numerous multi-million dollar settlements and verdicts for our clients.

Generally, doctors begin screening women for breast cancer at the age of forty, but diagnostic tests may be conducted earlier if a person has a family history of cancer or presents with concerning symptoms. Notably, while breast cancer is often thought of as a women’s health issue, it can affect men as well. As such, if a man visits a doctor with complaints that could potentially be caused by cancer, his health should be thoroughly evaluated.

In most cases, a patient will undergo a mammogram to assess if there are any areas of concern that require further testing. If there are, a doctor may order an ultrasound or MRI to obtain more detailed views of the area. In some cases, the physician may obtain cells from a person’s breast to conduct a biopsy to definitively determine whether cancer cells are present.

Treatment options for breast cancer include lumpectomies, which is a surgery where the cancer and surrounding tissues are surgically removed, chemotherapy, and radiation. What treatment is provided will vary depending on the patient’s individual circumstances. If there is a failure to diagnose and treat breast cancer appropriately, however, the disease may spread.

Doctors are expected to provide competent care and appropriate treatment, and if they do not, it may constitute medical malpractice. In Massachusetts, a plaintiff pursuing claims against a doctor for the failure to diagnose and treat breast cancer will generally allege that the doctor was negligent. As such, the plaintiff must first show that the doctor owed the plaintiff a duty, and then demonstrate a breach of the duty. In medical malpractice cases, the duty imposed on a defendant is to provide treatment that a competent and reasonable professional who works in the same practice area would offer in the same situation.

The plaintiff must not only prove that the defendant breached the standard of care but also that the breach proximately caused the plaintiff’s harm. In other words, the plaintiff must show that the losses suffered were directly brought about by the defendant’s failure to diagnose breast cancer. In most cases, the plaintiff will need to retain a medical expert to explain the standard of care to the jury and the manner in which the defendant’s acts constitute a deviation from the standard.

Breast cancer impacts the lives of many people throughout Cape Cod and Plymouth, but with early detection and proper treatment, they are often able to lead long and fulfilling lives. If you or someone you love sustained losses due to a doctor’s failure to diagnose or treat cancer, you have the right to seek compensation, and you should speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. The skilled attorneys of The Law Offices of John C. Manoog, III, can assess the circumstances surrounding your harm and gather the evidence needed to help you seek a just result. Our dedicated advocacy has allowed us to maintain a history of favorable outcomes, which includes many damages awards that exceed one million dollars. We routinely represent people in medical malpractice cases on Cape Cod, and we can meet for consultations in Hyannis and Plymouth. You can reach us via our online form or at (888) 262-6664 to set up a conference. Nós Falamos Português.