Experienced NJ Lawyers Handling Throat Cancer Misdiagnosis and Failure to Diagnose Claims
According to the American Cancer Society, there are about 12,650 cases of throat cancer in the United States so far this year, mostly men older than 55 years old. Each year, approximately 31,000 people receive throat cancer diagnoses. Statistics show that nearly five times as many men as women contract the disease; sadly, approximately one-fourth of both men and women will die from throat cancer. The fatality risk increases when the disease goes undetected and untreated for too long. When a doctor or another medical professional allows the prognosis to become increasingly worse with misdiagnosis or failure to diagnose throat cancer, victims and their loved ones may suffer the consequences.
If you suspect that an undiagnosed tumor in the throat, delayed diagnosis, or misdiagnosis of oropharyngeal or laryngeal cancer led to complications for you or someone close to you, or the untimely death of a loved one, contact Fronzuto Law Group for a free assessment of your claim. Our New Jersey medical malpractice firm is prepared to comb through the medical documentation and information involved in your case and determine if your tragedy is actionable through the court system. We are fundamentally committed to protecting and advocating for our clients who experience undue injuries and trauma as a result of negligence by healthcare providers and facilities. Call 973-435-4551 or reach us online to set up a free consultation for the legal guidance you need in this trying time.
Exploring the Different Types of Throat Cancer
Throat cancer develops in the pharynx and larynx, the two parts of the throat for eating and speaking. Cancer develops when squamous cells in the tissue lining the throat divide uncontrollably or live longer than they should. The pharynx and larynx have three parts each, which may contain cancer.
Cancers of the Pharynx
The pharynx is a large tube that connects from behind your nose to your windpipe for breathing. Pharyngeal cancer, called nasopharyngeal cancer, may occur where the pharynx connects from behind the nose. Oropharyngeal cancer begins at the connection between the pharynx and the back of the mouth, the oropharynx. And the hypopharynx is the bottom portion, where hypopharyngeal cancers take root.
Cancers of the Larynx
The larynx, or voice box, contains the supraglottis, glottis, and subglottis, indicating the upper, middle, and lower parts of the larynx. It has the vocal cords encased in cartilage. Laryngeal cancers are supraglottic carcinoma, glottic carcinoma, and subglottic carcinoma. Most cases of laryngeal cancer begin in the larynx around, above, or below the vocal cords. However, pharyngeal cancer is more common. Unfortunately, any throat cancer varietal can spread to other body parts.
Identifying the Signs of Throat Cancer
Most diagnosed with throat cancer have some of the leading risk factors, such as smoking, consuming alcohol, or having an existing virus like HPV. When you see your doctor about concerning symptoms, such as a persistent sore throat, painful or difficult swallowing, constant ear pain, hoarseness, nosebleeds, headaches, a lump in the throat or neck, weight loss, stiff jaw, coughing up blood, or persistent bad breath, they may conduct various tests to determine the cause.
Accurate Diagnosis of Throat Cancer is Critical
An accurate diagnosis is crucial to determining whether you have one of the multiple types of throat cancer. A doctor may first physically examine you for lumps or other abnormalities in the neck, followed by an endoscopy to scope your throat for a clearer image. An abnormality typically warrants a biopsy to check for cancer. When the biopsy turns up cancerous, a physician will order scans to see whether the cancer has spread.
Location and Spread are Key for Throat Cancer Treatment Options
Treatments for throat cancer depend on the cancer’s location. Throat cancer that spreads to nearby areas, like the lymph nodes, may require a different treatment approach than a localized cancer that has not spread. Typical treatment includes radiation, surgery, chemotherapy, or targeted (drug) treatment.
When the cancer is contained in one area of the throat, surgical removal of the part having the cancer may be one part of the treatment. When you lose part of your larynx or pharynx, you may not be able to speak without medical speech-assistive devices. When cancer spreads, the treatment is more vigorous and debilitating.
Radiation treatment aims to kill cancer cells and prevent new cancer cells with blasts of intensely powerful rays. A companion treatment is typically chemotherapy to kill cancer cells throughout the body when the cancer spreads or to shrink tumors before surgery. Lastly, targeted therapy kills cancer cells with drugs without destroying healthy cells, as chemotherapy does.
Prognosis for Throat Cancer Worsens when Undiagnosed or Misdiagnosed
When diagnosed early, before it has metastasized (spread), roughly 50% of patients can be cancer-free with treatment. However, the survival rate is very low once it spreads to other body parts. As such, physicians must rigorously test patients with throat cancer symptoms to improve cancer recovery and survival odds and avoid complications, such as the surgical removal of a patient’s throat afflicted with cancer.
An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist may misdiagnose throat cancer as strep throat or the flu when a person reports long-term soreness or pain when swallowing. Without scoping the throat to look for abnormalities, a physician may send an individual home with an over-the-counter prescription for pain relief or without a diagnosis.
For example, a physician may see a young patient with a hoarse voice and not suspect throat cancer, usually in older adults. They may send the patient home after finding nothing unusual after a physical examination and suggest they wait until it passes or make another appointment if it does not go away. Unfortunately, time is not a luxury that a cancer patient can afford.
Potential Consequences of Throat Cancer Diagnostic Errors
When a delay in the correct diagnosis occurs, the patient may suffer unnecessary surgery, extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatment, or even death when the cancer spreads throughout the body. Negligence leading to a delayed or misdiagnosis of throat cancer may be the cause of a person’s lengthier treatment, speaking ability loss, or unnecessary demise.
When to Take Legal Action for Throat Cancer Misdiagnosis
A plaintiff may have a medical malpractice claim against a negligent doctor when they can prove that the physician should have diagnosed throat cancer at the first or subsequent visits, when the cancer would have been discovered in an endoscopy or another scan. A medical expert may be able to determine that a cancerous lump existed in the patient’s neck at the time they first saw their doctor, or the radiological records may show the cancer that the medical provider never reviewed. Such evidence is crucial to proving failure to diagnose throat cancer or misdiagnosis of any form of head and neck cancer that ultimately led to the cancer spreading, extensive treatment, unnecessary pain, suffering, and financial damages.
Medical expenses and the many other costs of throat cancer complications are overwhelming, and a wronged patient and their family should not have to bear these costs. A successful throat cancer lawsuit may cover your ongoing medical bills and treatment when your doctor misdiagnoses throat cancer, and the surviving loved ones of a person who lost their battle with throat cancer due to medical negligence may been able to recover the costs associated with their loved one’s care prior to the death, funeral expenses, loss of consortium, and more.
Secure Seasoned Legal Representation for Throat Cancer Negligence in New Jersey
When you speak with the seasoned medical malpractice attorneys at Fronzuto Law Group, you can find out how a medical malpractice lawsuit works from beginning to end, including the timing and potential compensation recovery for your or your loved one’s throat cancer case. Our legal team will investigate your claim to determine if a medical professional, hospital, or cancer care facility was negligent. If someone suffers or dies as a result of diagnostic and treatment errors, we are skilled at assessing the strength of a possible medical malpractice or wrongful death lawsuit and helping our clients to further strengthen these claims through evidence. Our lawyers settle and litigate cases in New Jersey with a mind toward obtaining full compensation for our clients’ needs.
