Friday, July 13, 2007

Failure to Diagnose or Delay in Diagnosis of Cancer (Causing Exacerbation of Disease or Death)

Some of the types of cancer that are particularly responsive to early treatment include breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, colon cancer, and lung cancer.

Damages caused by failure to promptly diagnose cancerUnfortunately, not every cancer patient is diagnosed in time for these early stage treatments. Many patients suffer from serious damages and even death as a result of failure to diagnose cancer, or delays in that diagnosis. Left untreated, even the most treatable forms of cancer are often ultimately deadly.

Patients whose cancers are not diagnosed in their early stages are often subjected to extended courses of painful, disfiguring, and debilitating treatments, including chemotherapy, strong medications, and major surgery.

For example, in many cases, early stage breast cancer can be effectively eliminated with only minor surgery to excise the cancerous tissue. If that breast cancer is not diagnosed until later stages, however, treatment can consist of mastectomy (removal of the breast), extensive chemotherapy, and other treatments, sometimes with little chance of survival.

Failure to diagnose cancer or delayed diagnosis of cancer may be the result of any of a number of issues, including failure to order appropriate tests, negligence in handling or reading test samples, misdiagnosis of symptoms, or other types of medical negligence.

How to get helpIf you or someone you love suffered damages as a result of a failure or delay in cancer diagnosis, you may be able to recover some compensation for the physical, emotional, and financial damages you've suffered.

It is important that you act quickly, however, to preserve your right to take action against those who harmed you, and to preserve the evidence you need to prove your case in a court of law.

If you or a family member has suffered injury or death as a result of a late cancer diagnosis, contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible. He or she can help you gather the information you need and determine whether you have a cause of action to sue for damages.

Click here for more information about failure to diagnose cancer and other medical malpractice cases

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tara_Pingle

Erb's Palsy - Brachial Plexus Injuries

During and after the birth of a child, the baby is vulnerable to injury that may result in permanent damage. While there are many different types of birth injuries and the severity of any injury may vary from child to child, one type of injury that can be very serious is damage to the brachial plexus.

Injury to the brachial plexus during birth is referred to as Erb’s Palsy or Brachial Palsy. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that radiate from the spinal cord, through the shoulder and down into the arms and the hands. A brachial plexus injury occurs in cases where the shoulder becomes impacted in the womb making deliver more difficult and ultimately requiring additional pressure to deliver the impacted shoulder. If excessive pressure is applied to the child’s head during birth, the chances increase that the delivery will stretch and/or tear the brachial plexus nerves leading from the spinal cord, resulting in permanent injury.

This medical emergency is called shoulder dystocia, and its causes are largely unknown. It occurs in non-diabetic and diabetic mothers who are delivering children with high birthweights, however, the incidence is higher among diabetic mothers.

As a result of suffering damage to the Brachial Plexus, the newborn may present with:· paralysis or limpness in the arms· lack of muscle control in the arm, hand or wrist· limited movement in hands or fingers, and· may also experience loss of sensation in hands or fingers

Some injuries to the Brachial Plexus may heal on their own without treatment, generally in the first 3-4 months of age. However, if a child is still showing symptoms beyond this time, then physical therapy or surgery may be indicated.

Erb’s palsy is often the result of medical negligence during delivery, which means that babies with erb’s palsy may have a claim for damages against the doctor and/or hospital that handled the labor and delivery.

For more information about brachial plexus injuries and erb’s palsy claims, please visit this birth injury website and this Erb's Palsy website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tara_Pingle