Cervical Cancer Malpractice | Michigan Cervical Cancer Malpractice Lawyers

Daniel Buckfire

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Cervical cancer forms in tissues of the cervix. It is often slow to grow and symptoms may not present themselves until relatively late stages, but the cancer can be found easily using regular Pap smears. So far in 2008, there have been over 11,000 new cervical cancer cases and over 3,000 deaths caused by cervical cancer.

Despite the great familiarity doctors must have with the increasingly common disease, misdiagnosis or mistreatment of cervical cancer is a growing cause of medical malpractice claims.

Cervical cancer responds well to early detection and treatment. Cervical cancer is now considered a preventable disease because early detection allows doctors to minimize its effects. Unfortunately, too often doctors and other medical professionals fail to order tests, misdiagnose, and fail to treat cervical cancer. Such errors can give rise to successful medical malpractice claims. Common errors include:

• Failure to test using a pap smear
• Failure to identify cancerous mass in cervix during cervical exams
• Failure to properly interpret results of a pap smear or biopsy
• Failure to classify a tumor as malignant
• Failure to recommend treatment options
• Failure to notify patient of test results
• Failure to order future tests
• Failure to recognize common symptoms