If you suffered harm because your doctor misdiagnosed your fallopian tube cancer, you might qualify for medical malpractice compensation.
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At Medical Malpractice Help, we can take your case and fight for the damages you deserve. Though medical malpractice cases are never easy, our team has amassed a track record of success, and we can put our talents to work for you. To schedule a free, no-risk case evaluation with a medical malpractice lawyer, call 888-261-5614 today. We help clients across the U.S. hold negligent doctors responsible.
Did My Doctor Commit Medical Malpractice in Misdiagnosing My Fallopian Tube Cancer?
Fallopian tube cancer ranks among the most commonly misdiagnosed forms of cancer for a variety of reasons. First, the condition is quite rare, so many doctors fail to consider it as a possible cause of a patient’s symptoms. Furthermore, the symptoms of fallopian tube cancer often overlap with those of other more common ailments. Regardless, in many cases, a fallopian tube misdiagnosis is considered malpractice.
How Should a Doctor Diagnose Fallopian Tube Cancer?
Part of a doctor’s duty of care is to consider all possible causes of a patient’s symptoms and to order the appropriate tests and exams to systematically rule out each one.
If you went to your doctor with any symptom commonly associated with fallopian tube cancer, and your doctor did not investigate further, they could be in breach of their duty of care to you. That makes your doctor financially liable for any harm you suffered as a result of their negligence.
To make an accurate diagnosis, your doctor should run tests to rule out this type of cancer if you present with any of the following symptoms:
- Abnormal bleeding, especially in older women who have gone through menopause
- Pain or pressure in the abdomen
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- A pelvic mass
For patients with one or more of the above-listed symptoms, doctors should order the following tests to screen for the possibility of fallopian tube cancer.
A Pelvic Exam
A pelvic exam is a thorough evaluation of all areas of the pelvis in which the examiner looks for any shape or size abnormalities.
A CA125 Test
This test measures the patient’s level of a blood protein known as CA125. CA125 often serves as a marker for fallopian tube cancer and other gynecological diseases.
A CT Scan
A CT scan is an imaging test that produces pictures of the inside of the patient’s body. The patient typically is instructed to ingest a dye before the test, which helps produce a clearer picture of internal tissues.
An Ultrasound
An ultrasound is another type of imaging test. It uses sound waves to generate pictures of bodily organs and systems. Tumors, masses, and other abnormalities of the female reproductive system often are first seen in an ultrasound.
How Can a Lawyer Help Me Win Damages for My Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim?
In any medical malpractice case, we must prove that four things happened. If we can obtain evidence of these key legal elements, you might have a valid basis for a malpractice claim.
The Doctor Had a Duty of Care
For a doctor’s actions to be negligent, the doctor must have had a duty of care to you. An established doctor-patient relationship implies this duty of care.
The Doctor Breached Their Duty of Care
Once we have established a duty of care, we must show that the doctor breached it. To do this, we use the “reasonable person” standard. Would a reasonable doctor with the same education, the same training, and faced with the same situation as your doctor have made the proper diagnosis? If the answer is yes, your doctor might have violated the medical standard of care and committed negligence.
You Suffered Injury Due to the Doctor’s Negligence
Next, we must show a direct cause-and-effect link between your doctor’s breach of duty and an injury or illness that you suffered. For instance, if your cancer continued to grow and necessitated a painful and expensive procedure that you otherwise would not have needed, your doctor’s negligence caused injury.
You Incurred Economic or Non-Economic Damages
We must also prove that your injuries caused you to suffer compensable damages. These damages could be economic in nature, such as medical bills and lost work, or non-economic, such as pain and suffering.
What If These Four Conditions Are True in My Case?
If we can prove all four conditions to be true, we can take the next steps in your case. We will obtain relevant evidence, calculate a fair value for your damages, and file a malpractice claim with your doctor’s malpractice insurer. In most cases, malpractice insurers retain a team of highly paid lawyers who will invest substantial effort into calling at least one of the four conditions into question.
At Medical Malpractice Help, we are prepared for anything that comes our way. We know how to counter any tactic the other side uses to impugn your case. Call us for a free case evaluation to see how we can help you.
How Can I Set up a Free Case Evaluation With a Fallopian Tube Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney?
The Medical Malpractice Help team is ready to fight for your rights and help you win the compensation you deserve for your doctor’s wrongful and negligent actions. We offer free, no-risk case evaluations to get started.