One of the most frequent types of cases seen in medical malpractice is the failure to diagnose cancer. Cancer is a group of more than 100 different diseases and occurs when cells become abnormal and keep dividing and forming more cells without control. If cells continue to divide when new cells are not needed, a mass of excess tissue is formed; this is a tumor. Tumors can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). Cancer cells can also invade nearby tissues or travel through the bloodstream to form additional tumors elsewhere. The spreading of cancer is referred to as metastasis.
Some cancers have warning signs such as unusual bleeding or discharge, change in bowel/bladder habits, a thickening or lump in a body part, digestion problems/difficulty swallowing, or a nagging cough/hoarseness. A biopsy is one of the only sure methods to find out if cancer is present. During a biopsy, a physician removes a part of the tissue and examines it under a microscope to see if there are cancer cells present. Cancer can be treated with surgery, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
There are some screening tests utilized for early detection of some cancers. Yearly pap smears and mammograms are tools doctors use to detect cervical cancer and breast cancer. Colonoscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy are used to detect colon and rectal cancer.
Cancers can be missed when these early detection tests are not properly administered or when they are simply not ordered at all. Some of the tests, especially mammograms, can be misread and misinterpreted by a radiologist, leading to the spread of the cancer. Biopsies can also be misread or biopsies that do not properly sample the affected tissue can lead to a failed diagnosis.
As the ability to diagnose cancer continues to improve, a doctor's failure to diagnose cancer becomes more difficult to understand and accept. A patient's chance of survival is directly linked to how early his cancer is diagnosed; failure to diagnose cancer in an early stage may require the patient to undergo more aggressive and painful cancer treatment than would otherwise be necessary. Certainly, a patient's prognosis worsens when cancer is not diagnosed in the early stages.
The following is a list of the more common types of cancer that doctors often fail to diagnose:
· Cervical cancer
· Colon cancer
· Breast cancer
· Prostate cancer
· Esophageal cancer
Early treatments of all of these types of cancer are far less painful than the later courses of action necessary as a result of failing to diagnose them early. Often times, chemotherapy and radiation can be avoided if cancer is detected early enough. When a doctor fails to diagnose a cancer, the pain and suffering and financial hardship of the patient increases; this now becomes the physician's responsibility as he/she was the one who missed the early diagnosis.
If you or a loved one has suffered or died to a failed cancer diagnosis in Florida, please visit the website of experienced Medical Malpractice Attorneys Avera & Smith, LLP.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynn_Fugaro
Friday, July 13, 2007
How to Find a Florida Malpractice Lawyer
If you are one of those people that find themselves having to deal with a malpractice case, no doubt finding an excellent lawyer is going to be at the top of your list. This will be even more important to you if you live in Florida, where the amount of malpractice claims is quite a bit higher than in most other states. The amount of senior citizens in the region definitely contributes to the high amount of medical malpractice cases, but of course there are other factors involved as well.
Malpractice is not just something that you read about;
rather, it can and does really happen to many people, and unfortunately it can cause lasting damage. Should you ever have medical malpractice or dental malpractice occur to you, the first thing you will want to do is to make sure you hire a Florida malpractice lawyer that will provide you with the help you need. So, how can you find the best lawyer for your malpractice case? Read on for some great answers to your question.
Do They Require Money Up Front?
Another thing to consider when you are trying to find a Florida malpractice lawyer is whether or not they ask for any money up front. Most good lawyers will offer you a free consultation and only charge you if they take and win your case. If they do offer to accept payment after you case has been won, be sure that you find out how much they are going to take because some lawyers may take up to 50% of what they win you in a malpractice case.
Get Recommendations from Others
Many times you may be able to get recommendations for a great Florida malpractice lawyer from someone you know. Check with your family, your friends, or even your current lawyer if you have one. Usually you can find out who the good lawyers are and the ones to stay away from just by taking the time to do a bit of asking around. Word of mouth advertising can definitely steer you in the right direction.
Check Out Some Ads
Also consider checking online or in your phone book. See if the lawyer has any catchy ads and if they catch your eye. When checking online you may even be able to find some articles written by the lawyer as well, and reading the articles may give you a good idea of whether or not they are a good choice for your case. While checking ads online and in the phone book is great, beware of any ads that sound too good to be true. But be sure to use the other tips listed here too, because even lousy lawyers can write great ads.
Consider the Entire Firm
When selecting a good Florida malpractice lawyer you should check out more than just the lawyer. Checking out the law firm is going to be an important thing as well. See if the law firm is doing well financially and whether or not they may have the cash resources that will be needed to deal with your case.
Have a Face to Face Meeting
One of the best things to do to make the final decision about a lawyer is to get a meeting with a prospective lawyer. Find out whether or not your personalities mesh and get a feel for the lawyer as a person. Often that first meeting may be able to tell you a great deal about the lawyer and whether or not you want that particular Florida malpractice lawyer working on your case. If you have any doubts at all or something just doesn't feel right, keep looking.
Check with the Florida Bar
Checking with the Florida bar association may be another thing to do when you are trying to find a good lawyer in Florida. There you can see whether or not the lawyer has had any disciplinary actions against him or her and whether or not they are in good standing with the bar as well.
The Money is not the Only Factor
The lawyer will probably give you an estimate of how much he thinks he can win for you, as well as your chances of winning the case based on the circumstances when you speak to him, but remember, the amount of money should not be the deciding factor. Consider their skills and expertise, and not only the estimate that they give you.
Your malpractice case can either be made by your lawyer or lost by your choice of a lawyer. As you can see, picking out the right lawyer is imperative if you want to win your case. Take the time needed to research lawyers and find the best malpractice lawyer in your area of Florida.
To get more insights and more information about finding a Florida Malpractice Lawyer please visit our web site at http://www.malpracticeinfonow.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Arnold
Malpractice is not just something that you read about;
rather, it can and does really happen to many people, and unfortunately it can cause lasting damage. Should you ever have medical malpractice or dental malpractice occur to you, the first thing you will want to do is to make sure you hire a Florida malpractice lawyer that will provide you with the help you need. So, how can you find the best lawyer for your malpractice case? Read on for some great answers to your question.
Do They Require Money Up Front?
Another thing to consider when you are trying to find a Florida malpractice lawyer is whether or not they ask for any money up front. Most good lawyers will offer you a free consultation and only charge you if they take and win your case. If they do offer to accept payment after you case has been won, be sure that you find out how much they are going to take because some lawyers may take up to 50% of what they win you in a malpractice case.
Get Recommendations from Others
Many times you may be able to get recommendations for a great Florida malpractice lawyer from someone you know. Check with your family, your friends, or even your current lawyer if you have one. Usually you can find out who the good lawyers are and the ones to stay away from just by taking the time to do a bit of asking around. Word of mouth advertising can definitely steer you in the right direction.
Check Out Some Ads
Also consider checking online or in your phone book. See if the lawyer has any catchy ads and if they catch your eye. When checking online you may even be able to find some articles written by the lawyer as well, and reading the articles may give you a good idea of whether or not they are a good choice for your case. While checking ads online and in the phone book is great, beware of any ads that sound too good to be true. But be sure to use the other tips listed here too, because even lousy lawyers can write great ads.
Consider the Entire Firm
When selecting a good Florida malpractice lawyer you should check out more than just the lawyer. Checking out the law firm is going to be an important thing as well. See if the law firm is doing well financially and whether or not they may have the cash resources that will be needed to deal with your case.
Have a Face to Face Meeting
One of the best things to do to make the final decision about a lawyer is to get a meeting with a prospective lawyer. Find out whether or not your personalities mesh and get a feel for the lawyer as a person. Often that first meeting may be able to tell you a great deal about the lawyer and whether or not you want that particular Florida malpractice lawyer working on your case. If you have any doubts at all or something just doesn't feel right, keep looking.
Check with the Florida Bar
Checking with the Florida bar association may be another thing to do when you are trying to find a good lawyer in Florida. There you can see whether or not the lawyer has had any disciplinary actions against him or her and whether or not they are in good standing with the bar as well.
The Money is not the Only Factor
The lawyer will probably give you an estimate of how much he thinks he can win for you, as well as your chances of winning the case based on the circumstances when you speak to him, but remember, the amount of money should not be the deciding factor. Consider their skills and expertise, and not only the estimate that they give you.
Your malpractice case can either be made by your lawyer or lost by your choice of a lawyer. As you can see, picking out the right lawyer is imperative if you want to win your case. Take the time needed to research lawyers and find the best malpractice lawyer in your area of Florida.
To get more insights and more information about finding a Florida Malpractice Lawyer please visit our web site at http://www.malpracticeinfonow.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Arnold
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)