When diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, cervical cancer is known to be quite curable. Effective screening and modern treatment protocols have saved the lives of many women, who in decades past might not have survived.
However, medical negligence, which stands in the way of early detection, can and does occur, leaving far too many patients facing an extremely dire prognosis. When this happens, a cervical cancer malpractice lawyer with our firm is ready and willing to help.
According to the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, no fewer than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed on an annual basis, with more than 4,000 women each year succumbing to the disease.
The American Cancer Society reports that the five-year survival rate for early stage cervical cancer patients hovers between 80 to 93 percent, but sadly, for those in advanced stages of the disease, five-year survival percentages plunge into the teens.
These statistics illustrate the crucial role of early and competent detection and treatment by medical professionals in ensuring a hopeful prognosis.
Though negligent departures from the applicable standard of care can occur in numerous ways, when it comes to cervical cancer malpractice claims in DC, some common threads tend to emerge.
Delayed diagnosis of this type of cancer often follows inaccurate processing or interpretation of routine pap smears, a crucial method of screening for cell abnormalities. Some of the most frequent causes of malpractice claims relating to the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer include:
There are few things more tragic than finding yourself at the mercy of a relentless, deadly disease that most likely could have been stopped in its tracks if diagnosed earlier. This is particularly true if the medical professionals responsible for identifying irregularities in test results negligently failed to meet the prevailing standard of care.
Though no amount of money can make up for the harm caused by a delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer, affected patients are entitled to seek compensation in the form of:
Because cervical cancer tends to strike younger women, who may already have young children, it is essential for victims and their families to know that help in seeking the financial recovery necessary to support dependents who may be left behind is readily available.
Every medical malpractice claim is different, and it is important to have a DC cervical cancer malpractice lawyer on your side who can analyze complex information, assemble key evidence and marshal strong legal arguments on your behalf. To learn more about how our attorneys can aggressively pursue justice in your case, contact us today.
