Lawyers for Failure to Diagnose Uterine Cancer in Pittsburgh, PA

Reputable Medical Malpractice Lawyers Advocate for Victims of Failure to Diagnose Uterine Cancer in Pittsburgh, PA

Cancer of the uterus is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in women.  When caught early, the survival rate is high.  The most common type of uterine cancer is endometrial cancer, which is a cancer in the lining of the uterus.  Uterine sarcomas are rarer and impact the muscles or uterine tissue. 

Uterine cancer and endometrial cancer usually cause a patient to exhibit clear symptoms that can alert the doctor to the need to run tests.  Failure to do so can be devastating for the patient. 

Our medical malpractice lawyers at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC are among the leading advocates for cancer misdiagnosis patients in Pennsylvania.  Victims of a doctor’s failure to diagnose uterine cancer are often denied treatment until the cancer has spread.  At this point, the likelihood of a successful outcome diminishes—and the patient is often subject to a series of painful surgeries and invasive treatments. 

We fight to get fair compensation to help our patients get the quality treatment they need while holding careless physicians responsible for their actions.  To learn more about our lawyers and our practice, schedule a 100% free case review with our Pittsburgh delayed cancer diagnosis lawyers today.

Common Symptoms of Uterine Cancer

Typically, uterine cancer is treated with surgery—in many cases, a complete hysterectomy may be performed.  The entire uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries may be removed.  While extreme, surgery gives the patient the greatest chance of a successful recovery.  Chemo and radiation can also be useful in treating uterine cancer.

Unfortunately, doctors often fail to diagnose uterine cancer because they conclude that the symptoms indicate another condition—without running tests that would conclusively establish the absence of uterine cancer.

Some of the more common risk factors for developing uterine cancer include:

• Obesity, diabetes and factors such as diet and exercise
• A history of taking estrogen supplements, birth control or tamoxifen (a drug commonly used to treat breast cancer)
• Undergoing hormone replacement during menopause
• Use of an intrauterine device (IUD)
• Never having children
• Irregular ovulation (often, having a low number of periods per year prior to menopause)
• A family history of uterine, endometrial, colon or ovarian cancer
• Having had pelvic radiation therapy in the past
• Abnormal overgrowth of the endometrium

Unlike other types of cancer, testing for uterine cancer is rarely undertaken in a routine checkup.  Rather, many doctors rely upon patients to report symptoms that could indicate uterus cancer before running tests.  Patients, in turn, rely upon their doctor to recognize and react properly to those symptoms.  Common symptoms of uterus cancer may include:

• Bleeding between periods
• Post-menopausal bleeding
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Unexplained weight loss
• Vaginal discharge

It is the doctor’s job to use the skill and expertise that a competent doctor possesses to determine whether to test for cancer—and the treatment protocol that should be followed.

When is Failure to Diagnose Uterus Cancer Cause for a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit?

Testing for uterine cancer typically involves a biopsy, pelvic exam and/or an ultrasound.  An MRI can also be useful in detecting uterine cancer.  Failing to run these tests to rule out uterine cancer can, in some cases, amount to medical negligence.  Additional examples of possible circumstances that could amount to malpractice include:

• Incorrectly reading the patient’s diagnostic test results
• Recommending treatment for a condition with similar symptoms without running appropriate tests
• Failing to recommend the patient to a specialist
• Failing to take a full patient history or failure to consider the patient’s history

If your gynecologist or doctor committed any of these mistakes that a reasonable, competent doctor would not have made under the circumstances, you may have the right to financial compensation if you suffered harm as a result.

Victims of a Doctor’s Failure to Diagnose Uterine Cancer Can Suffer Serious Complications

A uterine cancer diagnosis can have significant consequences for any woman.  However, victims of failure to diagnose the patient correctly tend to suffer greater, unnecessary harm.  

Victims of failure to diagnose uterine cancer can suffer because of:

• The need for more invasive and extensive cancer treatment once the uterine cancer is diagnosed
• The need for additional surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation to treat cancer that has spread to other areas of the body
• Complications that can arise from unnecessary treatments for a condition that the doctor incorrectly diagnosed, such as fibroids, polyps or pelvic inflammatory disease

If left undetected, the uterine cancer can spread throughout the body and make successful treatment difficult or impossible.  Victims of failure to diagnose cancer are much more likely to succumb to the disease. 

At Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC, our top-rated medical malpractice lawyers are here to fight to win compensation for your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering and more. 

Call Our Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyers for a Free Case Review Today

Forcing negligent medical professionals to take financial responsibility for the harm they can cause is the only way we can hold them accountable.  The longer cancer is left untreated, the more aggressive the disease becomes.  We know financial compensation cannot restore your health, but it can help you get the highest possible quality medical care.

To learn more about your legal right to fair compensation for a doctor’s failure to diagnose uterine cancer, call Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC for a free case review today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Failure to Diagnose Uterine Cancer