Six Ways Cancer Misdiagnosis Happens in Texas

How does a medical professional miss something as important as a cancer diagnosis?

Unfortunately, physicians have a number of opportunities to misdiagnose your cancer or fail to recognize your medical issue altogether, from the initial examination to the reading of your test results.
Here are six common ways that cancer misdiagnosis happens in Texas:

• Your doctor misses an important sign or symptom during your examination. If you do not receive a full, thorough examination at your appointment, your doctor may miss a sign of cancer, such as a malignant mole, that is the difference between the right diagnosis and the wrong diagnosis – and in some cases, the difference between life and death.
• Your doctor does not administer the correct diagnostic tools. If your doctor suspects that you have an underlying health problem, he or she is responsible for administering or ordering a number of tests to reveal the problem. Not ordering the correct tests, such as a biopsy, could absolutely lead to misdiagnosis.
• Your doctor fails to refer you to a specialist. Even if your doctor does see some abnormal signs or red flags, he or she may neglect to recommend a specialist or take further action in a timely manner.
• Your diagnostic tests were not administered correctly. Just because the doctor ran the correct tests does not mean that they were done correctly. Mistakes in the lab or mistakes during an exam can mean a misdiagnosis.
• Your diagnostic test results were not read correctly. In this case, a doctor could fail to see a cancerous growth or mistakenly diagnose a malignant tumor as benign.
• You were diagnosed with the wrong health condition. Sometimes the signs of cancer are misinterpreted as the signs of a different disease or the signs of the wrong type of cancer.

The consequences of cancer misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis are extremely serious and can be deadly – malignant cancer often spreads as doctors treat the wrong disease or the wrong type of cancer. At the same time, the treatment of the wrong disease may be weakening your body or causing side effects.
If you or someone you love has been the victim of a cancer misdiagnosis, you may have a Texas medical malpractice lawsuit. To learn more about your legal options call the Dallas cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm today at (214) 651-6100. We offer free, private informational consultations.