Prompt diagnosis of cancer, such as urinary cancer, is critical to optimizing the outcome. As cancer grows, the likelihood of spread, or metastasis, increases. Once cancer spreads from an early treatable stage to an advanced stage, the likelihood of cure diminishes. Depending on the type of cancer, an advanced stage may markedly reduce the chance [...]
Diagnosis of heart attacks in the Emergency Room has been made easier by a study recently published by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP). The study recommends following an algorithm to rule in or rule out a heart attack within one hour of a patient arriving at the ER with symptoms or signs that [...]
Medical negligence claims often arise from a delay in diagnosis of cancer. These types of claims involve a number of scenarios, including the following: (1) failure of a physician to properly screen a patient for certain cancers based on screening guidelines; (2) ignoring signs or symptoms of cancer; (3) misinterpretation of test results; (4) miscommunication [...]
Cancer of the head and neck can affect the mouth, tongue, tonsil, throat (oropharynx), salivary glands, paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx (voicebox), and lymph nodes in the neck. Cancers of the brain, eye, thyroid gland, scalp, skin, muscles, and head bones occur in the head and neck are not usually included in this group. Over 100 [...]
Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix, the lower part of the uterus, grow out of control. Cervical cancer can often be successfully treated when it's found early. It is usually found at a very early stage through a Pap test. Medical malpractice cases involving cervical cancer typically arise out of one of the [...]
Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis is a surprisingly common theme in medical malpractice litigation. We see this as a central issue in many of our cases. Misdiagnosis, wrong diagnosis or delayed diagnosis accounts for a substantial number of claims and frequently can make a significant difference, between life and death. Just last year I handled a [...]
Squamous cell skin cancer is generally considered to be the lesser evil when compared to malignant melanoma. However, a recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association -Dermatology (JAMA - Derm) points out that a delay in diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma can be fatal for some patients. According to the Skin Cancer [...]
Hospital negligence comes in various shapes and sizes. A clear case of medical negligence occurs when a doctor orders a test but the test is never performed or the results go unread, and the patient dies or is injured as a result of the missed test result. The Archives of Internal Medicine recently published an article showing that physicians [...]
As you know from our blog, medical malpractice takes many forms and occurs for many reasons. We have previously reported on how the medical community is slow to adapt to changes in behavioral patterns of the population that impact the incidence of certain medical conditions. For example, we reported earlier how the obesity epidemic is increasing [...]
Heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. Much attention has been given to prevention of heart attacks through diet, exercise and smoking cessation. Despite these efforts, heart attacks still happen in abundance. More attention is needed on what to do when a heart attack happens. The key to surviving heart [...]
