A delayed diagnosis can be an issue for many different types of conditions. It delays the care that you need and can be an example of medical malpractice.
This is especially true with a serious disease like cancer. The issue is that cancer can metastasize, or move throughout the body, spreading to new organs or tissues besides the one where it was originally present.
How cancer spreads
There are several key ways that cancer can spread. The cancer can grow directly into nearby tissue. Some types of cancer can travel through a person’s bloodstream. This means they can reach bones or other organs far from the original site of the cancer.
Finally, there are some types of cancer that utilize the lymphatic system. They can spread through the lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes are a common indicator that someone has the disease. However, they can be a symptom of other things besides cancer.
This can be a result of medical malpractice
As you can see, this could mean that a delayed diagnosis makes your situation far worse. Localized cancer may be easy to treat, but a six-month delay could allow it to spread throughout the body and mean that some treatment options are no longer available. The cancer could even progress until it becomes a terminal disease, when it would have been treatable before.
If your doctor negligently overlooked your symptoms or did not give your case proper consideration, delaying the diagnosis, you may have a medical malpractice case. If you or a loved one has found yourself in this position, it is important to get experienced legal guidance to determine your options.