In Colorado, around 25,000 cancers are diagnosed yearly. Although not all kinds of cancer have designated screening tests, it is important to detect the disease early to get the appropriate treatment and prevent the cancer from progressing. Misdiagnosis, or failure or delay in cancer diagnosis can cause more pain, suffering, and loss to the patient.

Early diagnosis of cancer can lead to successful management and treatment, as well as a high chance of recovery and survival. However, when the cancer is missed for a long period of time, the disease becomes difficult to overcome and treat. Some cancers are challenging to detect and diagnose because of their subtle or complex nature. In addition, cancer can go undetected due to the wrongdoing or negligence of a medical care provider.

If a healthcare professional failed to diagnose cancer, misdiagnosed, or delayed a cancer diagnosis and their action caused harm, the victim may file a medical malpractice claim against the negligent party.

Differences Between Failure to Diagnose, Misdiagnosis, and Delayed Diagnosis

A diagnostic error is one of the most common forms of medical malpractice. It happens when a healthcare professional fails to provide an accurate and timely explanation of the patient’s condition or relay that information to the patient. A diagnostic error in cancer patient cases can result in serious injury or, worse, death. The following are the three kinds of diagnostic errors:

• Failure to diagnose: It occurs when a medical care provider fails to determine the condition or identify any health problems in the patient. Healthcare providers may fail to diagnose cancer in patients, and as a result, the patients will not receive the appropriate treatment in time, which may worsen the cancer or cause death.

• Misdiagnosis: It takes place when a healthcare professional fails to establish a correct diagnosis. Medical providers may misdiagnose cancer in patients, and consequently, the patient will receive the incorrect treatment, which can be dangerous and financially, physically, and mentally exhausting.

• Delayed diagnosis: It happens when a healthcare provider significantly delays identifying or confirming the condition or health issue of the patient. Healthcare providers may delay the diagnosis of cancer in patients, which will eventually result in delayed treatment or poor survival for the patient.

Mistakes Leading to Failure to Diagnose, Misdiagnosis, and Delayed Diagnosis

Various medical mistakes can result in failure to diagnose cancer, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis. They often make cancer stages progress and limit treatment availability and results. Medical mistakes that can lead to failure to diagnose cancer, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis of cancer include:

• Misinterpretation of test results: This includes incorrectly interpreting imaging studies like X-rays, CT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs), and misreading laboratory tests or biopsy results.

• Inadequate screening: This occurs when medical professionals fail to conduct and recommend necessary cancer screening and diagnostic tests. It also involves medical providers who do not adhere to screening guidelines for high-risk patients.

• Incomplete patient assessment: This happens when healthcare providers do not consider or carry out a thorough medical history evaluation, including family history. It also involves medical professionals who execute incomplete physical examinations.

• Failure to order appropriate tests: This includes failing to recognize symptoms that require further analysis and neglecting to request crucial follow-up tests.

• Misinterpretation of symptoms: This involves healthcare professionals who attribute cancer symptoms to more common, benign conditions and overlook subtle or early signs of cancer.

 

• Delayed referrals: This occurs when medical care providers fail to promptly refer patients to cancer specialists and underestimate the urgency of cancer-related findings.

 

• Communication breakdown: This includes failure to communicate and relay essential information or test results to patients and poor information exchange between medical staff.

 

• Cognitive biases: This happens when healthcare professionals depend on initial non-cancer diagnoses and miscalculate the risks of cancer due to limited personal experience.

• Lack of follow-up: This involves medical providers who do not follow up on persistent symptoms or look into abnormal test results. This also includes a lack of monitoring of high-risk patients.

 

• Dismissing patient concerns: This includes healthcare professionals who do not take the symptoms, concerns, and complaints of patients seriously and do not investigate persistent or worsening signs of cancer.

 

• System failures: This takes place when test results are misplaced, lost, or misfiled and when there is a lack of classified and reliable systems for monitoring and following up on test results.

 

• Premature conclusion: This happens when medical providers quickly settle on a diagnosis without considering and exploring other possibilities. This also involves the failure to reconsider the initial diagnosis when treatment is proven ineffective.

Most Commonly Misdiagnosed Cancer

Failure to diagnose, misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis of cancer increases medical expenses, magnifies the pain and suffering of the patient, lowers their recovery and survival rate, and causes devastating damage, including death. Last year, cancer was the leading cause of death in Colorado. Records showed that in 2023, 8,411 Coloradans died from malignant neoplasms, collectively known as cancer. Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers include:

1. Breast cancer: This is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed cancers. Usually, breast cancer can be overlooked in mammograms or confused with benign breast conditions like fibrosis and simple cysts.

2. Colorectal cancer: This can be confused with medical conditions like gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

3. Lung cancer: This is another most commonly misdiagnosed cancer. Lung cancer can be misdiagnosed as pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or other respiratory infections.

4. Pancreatic cancer: This can be misdiagnosed, typically as a gallbladder disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer, or diverticulitis.

5. Thyroid cancer: This can be mistaken for hypothyroidism, benign thyroid nodules, or other thyroid disorders.

6. Ovarian cancer: This silent killer type of cancer can be confused with IBS, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, or urinary tract infection (UTI).

7. Skin cancer: Many skin conditions can be mistaken for cancer. This can be misdiagnosed as psoriasis, seborrheic keratoses, or sebaceous hyperplasia.

8. Prostate cancer: This is also one of the most misdiagnosed cancers. The symptoms of prostate cancer mimic the indications of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis.

Victims of misdiagnosis, or failure or delay in cancer diagnosis may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim and seek justice for their losses. If you, or your loved one, suffered the consequences of misdiagnosis, or failure or delay in cancer diagnosis, call Anzalone Law Offices to help you. Our experienced and skilled lawyers will guide you throughout the process and fight to obtain the maximum compensation you deserve.