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Failure to diagnose allowed cancer to grow for 5 years

On Behalf of | Mar 14, 2018 | Doctor Errors

It has become common knowledge that frequent use of tobacco products can lead to life-threatening lung cancer. It may not be common knowledge that people who do not use tobacco products can also develop the same illness. Fortunately, there are treatments for these cancers no matter the cause, but an accurate and timely diagnosis is required. Massachusetts readers may be interested in one man’s lawsuit claiming that he is sicker than he should be because of a doctor’s failure to diagnose him in a timely manner.

The man was receiving treatment and diagnostic tests for a broken back five years prior to his lung cancer diagnosis when a cancer lesion was spotted in his lungs. Reportedly, a radiologist noticed the lesion and alerted the man’s back surgeon. He marked the lesion as critical, but neither the patient nor the patient’s primary care physician were notified.

About a year ago, the man became sick. His physicians assumed it was a case of pneumonia, but further testing discovered his lungs were instead full of cancer. The man claims he is only still alive because of a new treatment regimen he is receiving, and he is preparing for the fact that he will likely die before his wife.

The man and his lawyers claim that requests to discuss the failure to diagnose have not been accepted with the medical facility. Massachusetts patients who feel they have had a similar detrimental delay in treatment or diagnosis may wish to talk to a medical malpractice attorney. In some cases, patients may be able to gain legal recourse through a successfully presented medical malpractice lawsuit.

Source: kiro7.com, “Seattle lawyer sues hospital after devastating diagnosis“, Deborah Horne, March 6, 2018