What can happen if my cancer is misdiagnosed?
The minimum period of a delay in diagnosis which can have an adverse effect will vary, depending on the type of cancer and which stage of severity it is at. This being said, it is likely to be months as opposed to weeks. The test for receiving compensation is what could have happened had you been diagnosed correctly at an earlier stage, or what would have been done differently. The main factor is determining whether earlier diagnosis and/or treatment could have helped the patient.
Unfortunately, cancers can occasionally be missed, resulting in a delay in diagnosis and therefore a delay in starting any necessary treatment. Appropriate tests and investigations may not have been carried out, or blood samples, scans, or smears may have been misinterpreted. In some circumstances, a delay in diagnosis can be extremely serious, especially if the cancer has developed to a more advanced stage. This can harm a patient’s chance of making a full recovery, or even reduce their chance of survival.
In addition to claims relating to delays in diagnosis, sometimes the reverse happens and patients are incorrectly diagnosed with cancer. This can result in patients undergoing unnecessary and often unpleasant treatment and/or surgery, as well as suffering severe psychological trauma caused by the belief that they are potentially terminally ill. For example, there has been some high profile cases in the press where women have been incorrectly diagnosed with breast cancer and have had breast tissue unnecessarily removed.
We are experienced in dealing with successful cancer misdiagnosis claims and are ideally placed to help you get the justice and compensation that you deserve for what has happened. Call our team of expert cancer misdiagnosis solicitors to find out more, on 0161 696 6165.
Cancer misdiagnosis – areas of specialism
Here at Stephensons, our areas of specialism include, but are not limited to:
- Skin cancer (melanoma) misdiagnosis
- Lung cancer misdiagnosis
- Breast cancer misdiagnosis
- Cervical cancer misdiagnosis
- Prostate cancer misdiagnosis
- Bowel cancer misdiagnosis
- Lymphoma misdiagnosis
If you would like to discuss a cancer misdiagnosis with a member of our expert clinical negligence team, please call us on 01616 966 229. Alternatively, you can complete our online enquiry form and we will contact you as soon as possible.
How much is the compensation for misdiagnosis of cancer?
If you make a successful claim for cancer misdiagnosis, the amount of compensation that you will be awarded will entirely depend on the specific circumstances involved. It isn’t possible to make an accurate estimate of the kind of cancer misdiagnosis compensation amount you might receive until the details of what happened to you and the effect that this has had on your life are all fully understood.
Our team of cancer misdiagnosis solicitors, working within our clinical negligence team, can assess your claim and provide you with a range for the sum of money you are likely to receive if your claim is successful. We can do this because of our experience of helping others in similar situations with misdiagnosis claims and will take into account the particulars of your specific case.
Get in touch with our team today to find out more. Call us on 0161 696 6165.
