On average, 56,822 people are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in British women. A cancer diagnosis can be life-changing news, and you expect to get the highest standard of care possible from your doctors. But what happens when you don’t?
Breast cancer misdiagnosis can be devastating, harming you physically, mentally, and financially. If you’ve been a victim of medical negligence, then you may be able to make a claim.
Key Takeaways
- All medical professionals need to provide an acceptable standard of care to their patients
- Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK
- You could get compensation for the physical, mental, and financial effects of breast cancer misdiagnosis
- One of our expert medical negligence solicitors could help you make a cancer misdiagnosis claim
Contact Us
If you’ve been harmed by breast cancer misdiagnosis, contact us today to find out if you could claim by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Jump To A Section
- What Is Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis?
- How Common Is Misdiagnosis Of Breast Cancer?
- How Can Misdiagnosed Breast Cancer Be A Result Of Medical Negligence?
- What Tests Should Be Done When Diagnosing Breast Cancer?
- What Conditions Is Breast Cancer Commonly Misdiagnosed As?
- The Implications Of Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis
- How Accident Claims Can Help You
- Learn More
What Is Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis?
Misdiagnosis occurs when a medical professional fails to identify an injury or condition. However, it’s important to remember that not all cases of misdiagnosis will be caused by medical negligence. This is because medical negligence occurs when:
- A medical professional fails to provide an adequate standard of care
- This causes you to suffer avoidable harm
For example, misdiagnosis could be a result of negligence if you presented with clear symptoms of breast cancer, but your doctor dismissed it as period pain, and did not refer you for further tests, causing the cancer to spread. This is because the care you received was substandard, and you were harmed by the misdiagnosis as a result.
If you can prove that you were harmed as a result of negligent breast cancer misdiagnosis, then you may be able to make a compensation claim. Contact a member of our team today to learn more.
How Common Is Misdiagnosis Of Breast Cancer?
There’s no way of knowing how common breast cancer misdiagnosis is, but according to a report by the UK National Screening Committee, breast cancer screening programmes miss between 15-35% of cancers. Although this may be due to an error made by the readers looking at the mammogram, the cancer is not necessarily visible.
If you have suffered from avoidable harm because you were misdiagnosed by a medical professional, contact our team of advisors and find out if you could make a claim.
How Can Misdiagnosed Breast Cancer Be A Result Of Medical Negligence?
Medical negligence can contribute to breast cancer misdiagnosis in a number of ways, including:
- You visit your GP and express concerns about a painful lump in your breast paired with dimpling in the skin around it. Instead of referring you for tests, your GP misdiagnoses your cancer as a harmless cyst. This delay in treatment means you need a double mastectomy in the future.
- During a routine mammogram, the radiologist misreads your X-ray. They miss the presence of two obvious tumours, resulting in a serious misdiagnosis and allowing your cancer to go untreated.
- You had breast implants years ago, and you went to your doctor about changes in your nipples. They dismiss your concerns as effects of the implants and blame your other symptoms on menopause. This causes your cancer to go undetected and allows it to spread past the point at which it is treatable.
These are only a few examples of how breast cancer misdiagnosis can occur. Contact a member of our team today to find out if you could be eligible to claim medical negligence compensation.
What Tests Should Be Done When Diagnosing Breast Cancer?
Breast cancer can be diagnosed through:
- An X-ray called a mammogram
- Blood tests
- Scans
- A tissue biopsy
- A physical breast examination
Your doctor may refer you for other kinds of tests in order to rule out other conditions. It’s possible that breast cancer can still be misdiagnosed after having these tests; speak to a member of our team today to learn more.
What Conditions Is Breast Cancer Commonly Misdiagnosed As?
Breast cancer can be misdiagnosed as a range of conditions, including:
- Severe period pain
- Cysts or fibroids
- Anxiety
- Hormonal imbalances
- Chronic pain disorders
- Blocked milk ducts
If you believe that you have been harmed as a result of a medical professional providing substandard care, contact a member of our team today.
The Implications Of Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis
Breast cancer being misdiagnosed can have a range of negative effects, and it can affect all areas of your life, including:
- Your physical health
- Your mental wellbeing
- Your finances
For example, if your cancer goes undiagnosed, then this means you aren’t getting the treatment you need. Like most cancers, it’s essential that breast cancer is caught as early as possible to ensure that treatment is effective. The longer you are left without treatment, the harder it can be to find effective treatments. It can also allow the cancer to spread, causing worsened symptoms and potentially exacerbating existing conditions.
A misdiagnosis can be mentally devastating and cause a range of psychological injuries from depression to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You may find it difficult to trust medical professionals, and visiting hospitals or other medical settings can become great stressors.
Finally, a misdiagnosis can have a massive effect on your financial well-being. When you need to take time off work because your symptoms are worsening, this can lead to lost earnings. You may also need to start paying for expenses such as childcare, physical therapy, and mobility aids.
If you’ve been affected by breast cancer misdiagnosis, don’t suffer in silence. Speak to a sensitive member of our team through a confidential assessment and find out how we can help you seek justice.
How Accident Claims Can Help You
At Accident Claims, we put our clients at the forefront of everything we do. Part of our cutting-edge approach to medical negligence compensation is how we fund the work of our solicitors: They all work on a No Win No Fee basis.
This means that they use Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) to fund the work they do on your claim. A CFA allows you to benefit from their years of experience and training as they help you:
- Gather evidence
- Negotiate a settlement
- Gain a deeper understanding of the claims process
- Refer you to one of our specialist recovery partners
All without taking any fees for their work. That’s right: Under the terms of a CFA, you pay nothing upfront to your No Win No Fee solicitor and nothing for their work as the claim continues. In fact, you’ll only pay a small success fee if the claim succeeds. This fee is deducted from your compensation as a percentage, but there’s a legal cap in place to make sure that they only take what is fair.
Get In Touch With Our No Win No Fee Solicitors
We understand how severely cancer misdiagnosis can affect you, and we are here to help. Get in touch with us today to find out how one of our solicitors could help you by:
- Calling us on 0800 073 8801
- Using the live chat feature
- Contacting us online
Learn More
Read our helpful guides to learn how to claim for:
Or, for further resources:
- Get information on breast cancer from Cancer Research UK
- More information on cancer from the NHS
- Learn about the Association of Cancer Physicians
Thank you for reading our guide to breast cancer misdiagnosis claims.
