Maryland Cervical Cancer Delayed Diagnosis Lawyer

An error, on the part of a physician or laboratory, may result in the delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be most easily treated when it is detected in the earlier stages. When medical professionals do not discover the cancer until it has progressed into later stages, the patient may have to undergo more aggressive treatments than they would have had the cancer been discovered earlier.

Survival rates also plummet, for patients with advanced stages of cervical cancer. If you are suffering from a medical professional’s delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer, you may wish to speak with a Maryland cervical cancer delayed diagnosis lawyer today. Let a compassionate cervical cancer medical malpractice lawyer fight for you.

Delays in Cervical Cancer Screenings

Screenings for cervical cancer are vital to patients’ health because, in many cases, cervical cancer does not cause any symptoms in the early stages. Based on the patient’s age, risk factors, physical exams, and medical history, a physician can determine when pap smears are necessary.

If a physician recommends a pap smear early in the progression of cell changes, then the development of cervical cancer may be more effectively treated or even prevented, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more information, reach out to a knowledgeable lawyer.

Delays in Follow-Up Care

Delays in diagnosis may occur when the physician, laboratory, or both fail to interpret pap smear results accurately. If the medical professionals incorrectly interpret pap smear results to be normal, when abnormal cells are present, then the cancer may grow and spread for months or even years before the patient becomes aware of the correct diagnosis.

Delays in diagnosis may also occur when results reveal abnormal cells, but the physician fails to follow-up appropriately on the test results. Since a pap smear is not a diagnostic tool for cervical cancer, but instead a screening that detects conditions that may be indicative of cervical cancer, physicians typically need to order additional tests such as:

• Colposcopy
• Biopsy
• Cervical scraping

Failure to take timely next steps in diagnosis may lead to dangerous delays, as the cancer progresses from the cervix to other areas of the body and becomes much more difficult to treat.

A cervical cancer delayed diagnosis lawyer in Maryland may be able to assist patients in gathering medical opinions and determining if the treating physician failed to meet the standard of care.

Damages for Delayed Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

The difference in treating cervical cancer if discovered in an early or pre-cancerous stage, as opposed to treating cervical cancer in an advanced stage is significant. If, due to a delay in diagnosis, a patient receives no treatment while cancer spreads from the cervix and uterus to the pelvic area and other organs, the patient’s survival rate may have diminished greatly.

The more aggressive treatments, which are required for the later stages of cervical cancer, may come at a significantly higher cost than the treatment required for earlier stages of cervical cancer. The medical expenses and pain and suffering endured due to the delay may be recoverable through litigation. Contact a cervical cancer delayed diagnosis lawyer in Maryland for more detailed information regarding damages in a particular case.

Call a Maryland Cervical Cancer Delayed Diagnosis Attorney Today

Physicians have a duty to provide care in accordance with the applicable standard in the community. If a medical professional failed to provide the level of care that you deserved, instead of delaying in the diagnosis of your cervical cancer, contact a Maryland cervical cancer delayed diagnosis lawyer for help.