Diagnosing Early Breast Cancer is Not Easy

When most people hear about a cancer misdiagnosis, they imagine that the patient was diagnosed with a less serious disease. What they don’t think about is the possibility that a patient was told she had breast cancer, only to later discover that the diagnosis was wrong.

It happens more than you might realize.
An article appeared in The New York Times, which opened many people’s eyes to the prevalence of breast cancer misdiagnosis cases. The article entitled, “Prone to Error: Earliest Steps to Find Cancer,” gave a frightening account of how a misdiagnosed breast cancer case can impact a patient.

According to The New York Times, “advances in mammography and other imaging technology over the past 30 years have meant that pathologists must render opinions on ever smaller breast lesions, some the size of a few grains of salt.”

With medical advances, doctors have been able to identify breast cancer at its earlier stage, known as Stage 0 breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). While this early detection brings comfort to numerous patients, it has also created a lot of problems. It is estimated that 17 percent of DCIS cases identified by a needle biopsy are misdiagnosed.

What a breast cancer misdiagnosis means to the patient.
If your doctor has ever delivered the shocking news that you have breast cancer, you know firsthand the panic and fear that ensues. Many patients choose extreme treatments, including mastectomy. What is unsettling is that some of these women may not have had breast cancer in the first place. Imagine the mental and physical toll resulting from that situation.

It is important to understand that doctors can sometimes be held liable for misdiagnosing breast cancer, especially if the patient was harmed. If you have suffered from a breast cancer misdiagnosis in New Hampshire or Vermont, you should contact our office. An experienced New Hampshire medical malpractice attorney will be able to answer your pressing questions and help you receive justice.

For more information, contact our office at 877-611-9622. Our law firm represents clients in Western New Hampshire and Eastern Vermont.

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