Oncology Malpractice Attorney Pittsburgh, PA

While all diseases require early detection, none more so than cancer. An oncologist is a doctor trained to diagnose and treat cancer. In 2018, there were more than 1.7 million new diagnoses of cancer in the United States with 33% of the cases expected to be fatal. Early and accurate diagnosis of cancer is always critically important. If you have been injured by your oncologist’s actions or failure to act, you should contact Matzus Law, LLC, to speak with an experienced Pittsburgh oncologist negligence lawyer.

Early Cancer Diagnosis Saves Lives

Oncologists have expertise in all forms of cancer. The most common types of cancer include:

• Cervical cancer
• Lymphoma
• Skin cancer
• Leukemia
• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer
• Lung cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Liver cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Esophageal cancer

Types of Cancer Misdiagnosis

Cancer misdiagnosis remains an ongoing problem in Pennsylvania and is not an uncommon form of medical malpractice. The most common types of cancer misdiagnosis include a doctor’s failure to:

• Identify symptoms of the correct type of cancer;
• Provide the proper test when needed, such as a mammogram;
• Identify the nature of a skin lesion;
• Perform a thorough physical exam or review patient records;
• Recognize symptoms of different types of cancers;
• Properly interpret test results such as from pap smears, urine and blood tests, MRIs and CT scans;
• Send the patient to a different specialist for a follow-up when appropriate;
• Follow up with a patient regarding treatment.

It is very important to know that your oncologists may not be the party at fault in your case. Oncologist malpractice often has many additional layers of responsibility and pastries who can be held legally liable. These may include radiologists, pathologists, and other medical professionals in the chain of your care and cancer treatment.

How a Pittsburgh Oncologist Negligence Lawyer Establishes Negligence in a Case Involving Oncologist Malpractice

Oncologist malpractice is defined as the failure of an oncologist or the medical professionals on their staff to perform up to the minimum standards accepted within the medical community.

When an oncologist is negligent, this can allow cancers to spread far more rapidly than would have occurred with proper and timely treatment.

Negligence is the Legal Basis of all Medical Malpractice Claims, Including Oncologist Negligence

At Matzus Law, LLC, we counsel our clients that in order to bring any valid medical malpractice case, it is not enough to identify that the oncologist committed an error in treatment and that you were injured. The mishap must have been due to the medical negligence of a doctor, or another responsible medical professional.

The following legal elements must always be established to show that a medical professional was negligent:

• The medical professional had a standard of care to uphold during the procedure. The standard of care is the level of care and skill that is expected of the medical professional. The law looks at what a medical professional with similar training would have done in the same or similar situation. Oncologists are trained in medical school to perform many different tests and procedures that fit the standard of care for that situation.
• The medical professional failed to uphold the standard. Whether by action or inaction, a doctor or other medical professional performs below the standard of care and skill expected of them. This is a crucial point. The medical professional is not only responsible when they act, but also when they fail to act but the standard of care dictates that they should have. For an oncologist, this includes all of the steps in properly diagnosing and treating a patient, They are always bound to follow the best practices of oncology, their chosen area of medical specialization.
• The medical professional’s diagnostic error caused you harm. There has to be a demonstrable connection between the oncologist’s failure to act according to the prescribed standard of care and your medical condition. If there is no causal link between the two, there is no legal case. Only where your condition could have been known if the medical professional adhered to the standard of care will there be the grounds for a legal malpractice case against an oncologist or other medical professional on their team.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oncologist Medical Malpractice in Pittsburgh

Has Matzus Law, LLC recovered money for clients who have suffered injuries because an oncologist failed in their duty of care?

Yes, we have many years of experience in this area. It is important to know that In any medical malpractice lawsuit, including those against an oncologist, a plaintiff can seek to recover lost wages, hospital bills, medical expenses from past and future treatment, as well as damages for pain and suffering caused by your injuries. Contact Matzus Law, LLC today so we can begin a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding your potential oncologist malpractice claim.

I was diagnosed with cancer but months after I should have been. Is it possible that I would have an oncologist malpractice case?

Yes. There is little room for error when a doctor suspects that their patient may have cancer. Swift and decisive action must be taken. Any failure to do so can prove fatal. If you have been injured by your Oncologist or their team of medical professionals, please contact Matzus Law, LLC today to discuss the details of your potential claim.

Do oncologists often misdiagnose the type of cancer someone might have?

Yes. A study from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that one out of every five cancers was misdiagnosed as being the wrong type of cancer.