Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims in Manchester, Blackburn and Lancashire

Being told that you have cancer is a traumatic experience which impacts hugely upon both the sufferer and their family. If there was a failure to diagnose cancer, or if the diagnosis and treatment were delayed as a result of medical negligence, it may be possible to claim financial compensation for the avoidable harm that has been caused.

Cancer is when abnormal cells divide in an uncontrolled way. According to Macmillan Cancer Support there are more than 200 different types of cancer and each type has its own name and treatment. Cancers grow at different rates and some cancers may eventually spread into other tissues in other parts of the body. Cancers are divided into five main groups according to the type of cell that they start from. These groups are carcinomas, lymphomas, leukaemias, brain tumours and sarcomas. Cancers are assigned a stage and a grade at diagnosis depending on how quickly a cancer may grow and which treatments may work best. The stage of a cancer means how big the cancer is and whether it is spread. The grade looks at how abnormal the cancer calls are. Treatments for cancer can include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy or targeted cancer drugs.

The earlier that cancer is diagnosed, and the sooner that the correct treatment is started, the better the sufferer’s chances are of recovery and survival. According to Cancer Research UK, 1 in 2 people in the UK will develop cancer in their lifetime. Medical negligence claims are unable to deal with the fact that a person has cancer because it is usually caused by non-negligent factors. The focus is therefore on whether there has been a failure to diagnose cancer, or a delayed diagnosis of cancer, and determining what impact that failure or delay has had on the development of the cancer, the range and viability of treatments that can be offered, and the likelihood of recovery and survival.

Our specialist medical negligence solicitors have extensive experience in acting for clients whose cancer diagnosis has been missed or delayed. The types of cancer misdiagnosis claims that we have advised on include:

  • GP negligence in failing to refer a patient for specialist oncological review under the two week rule.
  • Failure to investigate symptoms indicative of cancer.
  • Failure to properly interpret test results.
  • Failure to perform a biopsy in a timely manner or at all.
  • Failure to provide a timely response to test results and to escalate care accordingly.

In our investigation of the claim we will secure copies of the medical records and analyse them in order to understand the relevant events before instructing independent experts, including an oncologist, to review the claim. The focus is on establishing whether there has been a negligent delay in diagnosis or treatment of cancer, what impact this has had on the client’s treatment options and prognosis and what financial compensation the client is entitled to claim.

If you wish to discuss a potential medical negligence claim with our specialist solicitors you can use our online enquiry form, call us for free on 0800 008 7450, call us on our mobile friendly number on 0333 2400340 or text "CURTIS" to 82727.