Diagnostic Error Study Shows Getting A Second Opinion is Worth the Effort

Misdiagnosis and Delay in Diagnosis of Cancer and Other Diseases Is Common — Especially in Younger and Female Patients

A recent study reveals that among patients who sought a second opinion at the prestigious Mayo Clinic, more than 20% had been misdiagnosed by a primary care provider.

As reported in the Washington Post:

"The researchers looked retrospectively at 286 patients who had seen primary-care physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in 2009 and 2010. Nearly two-thirds were younger than 64, and most were female.”

The Post article further clarifies:

"In 62 cases (21 percent), the second diagnosis was “distinctly different” from the first, the researchers reported. In 36 cases (12 percent), the diagnoses were the same. In the remaining 188 cases, the diagnoses were at least partly correct but were “better defined/refined” by the second opinion, according to the study.”

The prevalence of misdiagnosis is covered also in this NBC television segment (below)...

When Is Misdiagnosis or Delay in Diagnosis Considered Medical Malpractice?

Cases of misdiagnosis or delays in diagnosis are often the basis of successful medical malpractice lawsuits when a physician or other healthcare provider does not take patient complaints seriously, does not order or follow up on diagnostic tests, or when other problems enter into a patient's care such as lab errors, communication errors, electronic medical records issues, or other hospital system errors.

This is especially harmful in cancer and other diseases where an early diagnosis can make a big difference in the patient’s prognosis — often whether they live or die.

For example, three of the most recent medical malpractice settlements posted to the Lubin & Meyer website are all related to the delay in diagnosis of cancer.

• $6.8M Judgment for Kidney Cancer Diagnosis Delay - Wrongful death lawsuit against doctor affiliated with Lowell General Hospital
• $1.5M Settlement for Delay in Diagnosis of Lung Cancer - Failure to address cough and order chest x-ray leads to delay in lung cancer diagnosis
• $2.5M Settlement for Failure to Diagnose Appendiceal Cancer - Lawsuit claims pathologist who evaluated appendix after removal was negligent in failing to identify the cancer and note it in her report

Do You Have Questions About a Diagnostic Error?

If you believe that you or a loved one may have suffered undue injury due to a delay in diagnosis of a medical condition or disease, you should consult with a medical malpractice attorney in your state that regularly deals with such cases and can bring your case to trial if needed, or negotiate the best settlement.

Lubin & Meyer medical malpractice attorneys represent patients in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Please learn more about our firm at lubinandmeyer.com. Or, use the button below to connect with us now.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com - Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law

As Prostate Cancer Screenings Have Decreased; Advanced Cancers Have Skyrocketed

Study shows 72% increase in metastatic prostate cancer cases in the past decade

A dramatic rise in advanced prostate cancer has been reported by a Northwestern Medical study published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, July 19, 2016, a Nature journal.

The study shows a 72% increase in new cases of metastatic prostate cancer in the past decade from 2004 to 2013. The study discusses two possible causes for the increase — a recent trend of fewer men being screened and that the disease has become more aggressive.

“One hypothesis is the disease has become more aggressive, regardless of the change in screening,” said senior study author Dr. Edward Schaeffer, chair of urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Medicine. “The other idea is since screening guidelines have become more lax, when men do get diagnosed, it’s at a more advanced stage of disease. Probably both are true. We don’t know for sure but this is the focus of our current work.“

“The results indicate that screening guidelines and treatment need to be refined based on individual patient risk factors and genetics,” said lead author Dr. Adam Weiner, a Feinberg urology resident. “This may help prevent the growing occurrence of metastatic prostate cancer and potential deaths associated with the disease. This also can help minimize overdiagnosing and overtreating men with low-risk prostate cancer who do not need treatment.”

“Prostate cancer is 100 percent treatable if detected early, but some men are more likely to develop aggressive disease that will recur, progress and metastasize,” said Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, president and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

“Not all men with prostate cancer need immediate surgery or radiation. But every case needs precision prostate cancer care. We urgently need smarter and more targeted cancer screening, so we don't leave men at highest cancer risk unprotected from early, curable disease being missed and turning into incurable disease,” said Simons.

Link to the study:  Increasing incidence of metastatic prostate cancer in the United States (2004–2013)

Northwestern News Service: Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cases Skyrocket

Failure to Screen for Prostate Cancer

Did your doctor fail to screen or fail to offer you screening or delay in the diagnosis of your prostate cancer?

Our attorneys are licensed and practicing in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Lubin & Meyer has successfully represented many clients whose prostate cancer has gone undiagnosed, most recently obtaining a $2.84M verdict for Failure to Screen for Prostate Cancer.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com
Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law