Bone Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorneys in New Jersey
Zealously Advocating for Victims Harmed by Failure to Diagnose and Misdiagnosed Bone Cancer Across NJ
A bone cancer diagnosis can stun an individual who fears the possibility of a prolonged period of sickness and death. This type of cancer is a disease that strikes indiscriminately, affecting individuals young and old, and sometimes invisibly breaking down the body before its discovery. Some bone cancer patients have painful, debilitating symptoms, while others feel nothing, making bone cancer all the more difficult to spot when it threatens to harm, if not take, the life of the person affected. Without prompt treatment, however, a child, adult, or elderly person with bone cancer may suffer complications that could permanently reduce their quality of life and, in the worst cases, be deadly.
Life-saving treatment for bone cancer often depends on medical professionals acting swiftly to put a stop to the cancerous cell growth. As such, a physician’s misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose the disease, causing delayed treatment, eliminating possible bone cancer therapy, or even resulting in fatality, may be deemed medical malpractice. When victims suffer harm or untimely death due to bone cancer misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose and treat this potentially life-ending disease, the negligent doctors and other medical professionals whose insufficient care led to the victim’s suffering can be held accountable through timely legal action. Not only can you get the justice you deserve, but you can also recover the compensation you are owed for medical expenses past and future, loss of income while receiving treatment, permanent disability or failure to return to your job, and the unthinkable pain and suffering you have endured. The experienced New Jersey bone cancer misdiagnosis attorneys at Fronzuto Law Group will dedicate all of our knowledge, resources, and skill to ensuring that you receive the compensation you are entitled to after such grave mistakes that cost you so much.
About Bone Cancer and Its Various Forms
Bone cancer manifests in one of two ways. It may occur as uncontrolled cell growth that begins in the bones, which is called primary bone cancer, or it may begin in other organs and travel to the bones, which is referred to as secondary bone cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, 3,970 bone cancer patients are diagnosed with the disease annually, over half being male. In addition, the disease causes about 2,050 deaths among children and adults annually. Overall, cancers originating in the bones are rare, as only 1% of cancers arise from the bones.Â
Several types fall under the umbrella of bone cancer.
1. Chordoma:Â What it Means
A less common form, chondrosarcoma, is a slow-growing bone cancer of the spine that affects mainly older male adults and rarely impacts children. The slow development of this cancer makes it easier to contain and prevent spread when treated early. Otherwise, it appears in the lungs, liver, and lymph nodes.
2. Multiple Myeloma: How it Works
Multiple myeloma is a secondary bone cancer originating in plasma cells found in bone marrow. This kind of cancer typically spreads throughout the body, though it can also be a tumor. Since plasma cells are part of the immune system, multiple myeloma patients cannot fight off infections. Individuals may suffer anemia caused by a shortage of red blood cells, infections from fewer white blood cells, broken bones, and organ damage.
3. Chondrosarcoma: Where it Begins
A type of bone cancer known as chondrosarcoma originates in an individual’s cartilage. Essentially, the cancer starts in the soft connective tissue that facilitates movement in the joints and connecting bones. When calcium forms, the previous cartilage may metamorphosize into bone. This disease is more commonly seen in adults as opposed to children and adolescents. It is most often found in the pelvic bones, or the bones in the extremities, primarily the legs and arms.
4. Osteosarcoma: The Different Grades
Osteosarcoma frequently affects the youth. Children all the way to young adults whose bones are still growing may develop this cancer in the extremities. Tumors may appear in the arm, knee, or leg bones where quick growth bone promotes the condition. However, the condition also occurs in other bones, like the pelvis. Osteosarcoma is categorized as high, intermediate, or low grade depending on how quickly the tumor grows and, thus, the type of treatment.
4. Ewing Sarcoma: Pediatric Tumors
Ewing sarcomas, which affect mainly children and teens, are tumors that develop in the bones and surrounding tissue, mainly in the pelvis, thighs, upper arm, and ribs. Four different types of Ewing sarcomas include tumors in the bones, soft tissue or cartilage, nerves, and chest wall.
Understanding Causes and Risk Factors for Bone Cancer
While a precise cause may be unknown, bone cancer can have various causes or risk factors, but genetic mutations are the primary culprit. Mutations may stem from environmental factors, such as radiation and drug exposure in cancer treatment, a history of certain diseases, and random genetic changes.
Diagnostic Procedures to Identify Bone Cancer
Some bone cancer patients have symptoms like fatigue, inflammation, pain, fever, weight loss, and mobility problems; maybe their bones break easily. Still, others feel nothing out of the ordinary. Physicians who examine a patient with pain in their legs, arms, knees, hips, or pelvis or with a lump in a bone must run tests, including blood tests, MRI, X-rays, and a biopsy to confirm bone cancer instead of another condition with similar symptoms. After all, fever, leg pain, and inflammation may be symptoms of several conditions. Testing can help confirm the diagnosis.
Exploring Treatment Options for Bone Cancer Patients
Treatment options for bone cancer depend on the type and stage. Before the cancer spreads, surgically removing the tumor may be the first line of treatment. Surgery is also the option to repair bones or amputate an arm or leg as treatment.
Another treatment option is radiation therapy to shrink tumors. Radiation typically comes before surgical removal of the cancer. Chemotherapy may follow or precede radiation therapy to prevent the spread of the cancer or to treat bone cancer wherever it is in the body.
Potential Complications from Bone Cancer Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose
The longer bone cancer remains untreated, the harder it is to treat. So, a misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis can end a patient’s life when the cancer spreads into vital organs or through the lymph system, where it is harder to treat. Delaying treatment may mean the patient has to undergo more intensive treatment they could have avoided had the cancer been diagnosed earlier.
When the correct diagnosis of bone cancer is delayed or left undiagnosed because a physician misread or overlooked the patient’s symptoms, a patient may miss the chance to beat the cancer. So, sending a patient home with instructions to take an over-the-counter analgesic or NSAID for fever or inflammation rather than running tests is a failure to diagnose that may also amount to medical negligence, providing grounds for legal action.
Can You File a Claim for Bone Cancer Misdiagnosis or Failure to Diagnose?
Misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose bone cancer may amount to medical negligence. Doctors have a protocol for diagnosing conditions, including life-threatening cancers like those affecting the bones. When they do not follow the standard and expected practices prescribed by medical boards and other governing bodies to diagnose and treat diseases like bone cancer, they may be held liable for the damages they cause. An individual who suffers injuries due to a physician’s deviation from the standards of medical practice in their field may file a medical malpractice claim to recover compensation.
What Specific Damages can be Recovered in Bone Cancer Lawsuits?
AÂ bone cancer victim of medical malpractice may sue for economic and non-economic damages. Economic losses are more easily understood by an ordinary person, as these include medical expenses already incurred and those necessary to help the victim continue to recover or fight the cancer. Economic damages include many different types of medical costs, such as surgeries, prosthetics, rehabilitation, and physical therapy. They also encompass lost income from the past and expected lost income moving forward, as well as costs such as wheelchairs, special modification to the victim’s home or transportation, and more.
Non-economic losses are connected to the victim’s pain and suffering, among other less concrete financial figures that can be easily accounted for. They may also include a spouse’s claim for loss of consortium. If a person dies due to medical malpractice with bone cancer, a wrongful death lawsuit may yield compensation to the family of the deceased.
Fronzuto Law Group Fights for the Bone Cancer Misdiagnosis Compensation You Deserve in NJ
You may wonder whether your physician’s misdiagnosis of or failure to diagnose bone cancer is negligence to support a medical malpractice claim. A free consultation with a renowned medical malpractice attorney at Fronzuto Law Group will give you the answers you need to act now. With decades of expertise evaluating cases of cancer misdiagnosis involving the bones and other key areas of the body, our legal team can investigate whether your provider’s patient practice amounted to negligence and whether we can take legal action to obtain maximum compensation on your behalf.
Having legal guidance through the civil court system, the medical establishment, and the insurance negotiations process is crucial to remedy your financial and emotional needs and for the liable party to be held responsible for compensating you. Our New Jersey firm is dedicated solely to this area of practice, which provides us with the unique and expansive knowledge and resources necessary to reach a desirable resolution in your bone cancer negligence case. For more information and a free consultation regarding your particular situation, contact our team anytime at 973-435-4551.