Medical negligence
The consequences of delayed or misdiagnosed cancer
While cancer treatment has improved drastically over the years, early intervention remains key to successful outcomes. Yet many patients still experience a delay in diagnosis or have their cancer misdiagnosed.
Someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes, according to data published by Cancer Research UK. It means that almost all of us (if not all) will be affected by cancer at some point in our lives.
There have been significant strides in the treatment of cancer over the past few decades, and today, more people than ever before are able to live long and healthy lives despite a cancer diagnosis.
Yet successful outcomes are often dependent upon early intervention and delays in diagnosis – or a misdiagnosis – can make cancer more difficult to treat.
What is delayed or misdiagnosed cancer?
Delayed cancer diagnoses can often be a result of negligent care or incorrect procedures during medical investigations. Some examples include:
- Failure to properly examine the patient or a refusal to take the patient’s reported accounts seriously
- Delays in ordering follow up investigations
- Incorrectly interpreting the result of medical investigations, such as blood tests or scans (MRIs, ultrasounds, etc)
These issues can often then lead to further delays in treatment, or even mean that symptoms are misdiagnosed as a different condition altogether. Misdiagnosed cancer can result in patients undergoing incorrect treatment, potentially even being subjected to unnecessary surgery, while the cancer is left unchecked.
How often is cancer misdiagnosed?
The exact number of patients who are misdiagnosed is difficult to determine as the government and NHS don’t track the data, though a report in 2018 found that 40% of patients reported being misdiagnosed at least once before their cancer was identified.
What’s more, 21% said they waited more than six months before they received the correct diagnosis.
However in 2019, NHS England launched a new Cancer Programme, which aims to significantly reduce waiting times, diagnosing more patients at Stage 1 or 2 and reducing the number of people waiting longer than 62 days following an urgent suspected cancer referral.
In an update in Spring 2024, National Cancer Director Dame Cally Palmer announced that the NHS had met its target of providing at least 75% of patients with a diagnosis (or a ruling out) of cancer within 28 days, and reduced the wait for many who had had an urgently referral.
What are the consequences of a late cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosed cancer?
Successful outcomes depend upon quick action, from diagnosis to the delivery of treatment; the quicker cancer is diagnosed and treatment started, the more likely it is that the cancer can be reduced or enter remission.
This means any delays or misdiagnoses carry a significant risk of harm. In less severe cases, it could mean that more aggressive treatment is needed, causing the patient more harm or discomfort than should have been needed. In more advanced stages, however, delays or misdiagnosis can have fatal consequences.
Is there any support for medical negligence in cancer diagnosis?
If you have suffered due to misdiagnosis, you are entitled to claim compensation. Doing so not only helps you and your family access additional funds, but it can also reveal the mistakes that were made in your care that led to misdiagnosis.
At Slater and Gordon, our medical negligence experts are on hand to help you claim the compensation you deserve. Our team is one of the best in country and is highly experienced in dealing with negligent or misdiagnosed cancer claims. They can provide you with the best possible service, ensuring you get the best outcome in your case and the additional support you need to assist with your recovery.
To speak to a member of our team, contact us by phone on 0330 041 5869 or get in touch online.
