Bladder cancer misdiagnosis

Bladder Cancer Misdiagnosis in Chicago

Bladder cancer is highly treatable when it is detected early. Unfortunately, it isn’t always caught promptly.

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately half of all bladder cancers are diagnosed in the early stages when the cancer has not yet spread beyond the bladder wall’s inner layer. When doctors fail to diagnose bladder cancer correctly and do not detect it at the earliest possible stage, the patient’s prognosis significantly worsens. Tragically, fatal consequences can occur.

If your bladder cancer was misdiagnosed due to medical malpractice, you deserve compensation for what you’ve endured. A Chicago bladder cancer misdiagnosis attorney with Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. can review your case during a free consultation. We have over 40 years of experience producing extraordinary results for our clients. If you have a medical malpractice claim, contact us today.

Why Working with an Experienced Medical Malpractice Lawyer Is Important in Cases Involving a Cancer Misdiagnosis

Medical malpractice cases involving cancer misdiagnoses are extremely complex. A lawyer must first be able to show that another healthcare provider with similar credentials would have been able to detect the cancer based on the available information. They also need to prove that the patient suffered harm as a result of the missed or delayed diagnosis. You need a lawyer who understands these complexities and can overcome challenges by the defense. It is also critical to have a team with the resources to hire medical experts that help support your legal arguments.

The medical malpractice lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. have recovered more than $2.5 billion for our clients, including the highest compensatory verdict awarded to an individual plaintiff in the history of Illinois. We have more than 350 verdicts and settlements exceeding $1,000,000.

Thanks to our diverse team of 20+ top-level litigators and 35+ supporting staff members Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. has the resources and skills to fight aggressively for our deserving clients.

Symptoms of Bladder Cancer

The bladder is an organ that stores urine in your body. According to the National Cancer Institute, bladder cancer arises when the cells of the bladder start to grow uncontrollably. According to the National Cancer Institute, symptoms of bladder cancer include:

  • Hematuria or blood in the urine, which may or may not be visible
  • Painful, burning urination
  • Frequent need to urinate
  • Feeling the need to urinate, although the bladder is not full

More advanced symptoms include:

  • Being unable to urinate
  • Lower back pain confined to one side of the back
  • Bone pain
  • Abdominal pain
  • Exhaustion
  • Swollen feet
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss

If you’re experiencing these symptoms, make an appointment right away to be tested for bladder cancer.

How Do Doctors Test for Bladder Cancer?

Symptoms commonly associated with bladder cancer don’t definitely indicate that you have the disease, as other conditions can be present with similar symptoms. To diagnose bladder cancer, your doctor will need to conduct appropriate tests.

Doctors test for bladder cancer in several different ways. According to the National Cancer Institute, the most common types of diagnostic tests for bladder cancer include:

  • Urinalysis, which analyzes the urine for the presence of blood
  • Cytology, which analyzes the urine for the presence of cancer cells
  • Tumor marker tests
  • Cystoscopy, in which the doctor inserts a cystoscope into the bladder to look for signs of cancer
  • Biopsy, in which the doctor removes cells or tissue for testing

The doctor will also ask the patient questions to determine whether they have any known risk factors for bladder cancer, such as a family history or a history of smoking. Understanding your risk factors can help your doctor decide whether additional tests are necessary.

Why Is Bladder Cancer Misdiagnosed?

Early detection and accurate diagnosis are essential when it comes to bladder cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for bladder cancer patients declines steadily as the cancer spreads beyond the bladder to other regions of the body. The sooner doctors detect bladder cancer, the better.

However, cancer misdiagnosis happens, which causes delays in receiving the treatment patients need to cure the disease. Circumstances that can lead to misdiagnosis include:

  • Failure to rule out bladder cancer before diagnosing a disease with similar symptoms, such as cystitis or a bacterial infection
  • Misinterpretation of test results
  • Failure to ask the patient about their risk factors and medical history
  • Failure to fully explain test results to the patient

If a doctor disregards the possibility of bladder cancer and assumes you have an infection, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice claim if you are later found to have had bladder cancer all along. The same is true if the doctor doesn’t read the tests correctly or doesn’t ask you about your medical history to find out if you have any risk factors before ruling out bladder cancer.

Complications of Delayed Bladder Cancer Diagnosis

When a correct diagnosis is delayed, the cancer has the opportunity to spread from the bladder to other areas of the body. By the time doctors later detect the presence of bladder cancer, the consequences to the patient can be much more severe.

When doctors detect abnormal cells early in the process, the cancer has likely not spread beyond the bladder. This is Stage 1 cancer, which can usually be removed through surgery without the loss of the bladder. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are also options at this stage.

If the cancer has begun to spread, doctors may need to surgically remove the bladder and some of the patient’s lymph nodes. The patient will also receive chemotherapy and radiation. This is Stage 2 or Stage 3 cancer. Survival rates are much lower at Stage 3 than at Stage 1 or 2.

If the cancer has reached Stage 4, doctors may still be able to treat it with chemotherapy but may no longer have the option of surgically removing it. At this point, a full cure is no longer likely.

Contact Our Medical Malpractice Attorneys for a Free Consultation

At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., we believe that individuals affected by medical malpractice deserve compensation for the consequences of medical negligence. Those consequences can be especially devastating when doctors misdiagnose bladder cancer.

Our elite team of litigators is diverse, aggressive, highly skilled, and equipped with the resources necessary to fight for your rights. Contact the medical malpractice attorneys at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. today for your free consultation.