Recently, the story of a woman’s struggles and death because of a cancer misdiagnosis made the news. Reportedly, a 24-year-old woman died from cancer after repeatedly being told that she was not suffering from cancer but migraines. Not only was the woman’s cancer misdiagnosed once, but allegedly her tumor went undiagnosed even after 14 visits to the doctor.
The woman first visited the doctor after suffering from severe headaches, neck soreness and dizziness for nearly nine months. Her doctors reportedly suspected something more was wrong, but settled on prescribing her medication for headaches instead of investigating further. After repeated doctor visits, where she was just prescribed more painkillers, her symptoms became worse. At that point, the woman went to the hospital where she was admitted and put on a drip. However, she was discharged the next day and died at home in bed hours later.
Results of an investigation into the woman’s death revealed that her symptoms and death were the result of an undiagnosed benign tumor. Per the investigation, if the woman had received cancer treatment, even as late as the day she died, she would have had a 98 percent chance of surviving the cancer.
What Options Are Available to Cancer Misdiagnosis Victims?
For cancer misdiagnosis victims and their families, the best option for holding those at fault for their misdiagnosis is pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit. Filing a medical malpractice claim against a negligent hospital or doctor can enable victims to secure the financial help they need for hospital bills, continued cancer treatment, lost income and funeral expenses. In addition, shining a light on this type of negligence can help prevent the same thing from happening to others in the future.
In the video below, injury lawyer Stewart Eisenberg talks about how devastating cancer misdiagnosis can be to victims and their families.
