Invasive breast cancer strikes one in eight women in the U.S., and one in a thousand men, over the course of their lifetimes. Surprisingly, only about 5-10% of breast cancer patients are known to have developed the cancer as a result of inherited genes, such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. Most breast cancer occurs as a patient ages and the genes in some of her cells mutate over the course of her life, regardless of whether people in her family have had breast cancer. This means that the risk of breast cancer increases as someone ages.
The early symptoms of breast cancer include various changes to the breast, such as lumps or masses; swelling; breast or nipple pain; lumps in the underarms (lymph nodes or breast tissue); skin irritation, dimpling, redness, thickness, or scaly appearance; and unusual discharge. However, some patients have no noticeable symptoms at the early stage, so it is important for patients to get screened for breast cancer in accordance with their doctors’ advice. Screening techniques like mammograms can find problems very early on. However, the diagnostic tests that doctors use to find and confirm breast cancer, then to monitor the progress of breast cancer treatment, depend on the stage of the cancer and the patient’s individual needs.
There are several varieties of breast cancer. It is important for doctors to diagnose the right type of breast cancer, and to do so early in the progression of the disease. If caught early, breast cancer is highly treatable and survivable. Nevertheless, breast cancer kills a higher number of U.S. women than any other cancer besides lung cancer. Many of these deaths are due to late diagnosis.
The treatments for breast cancer include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and therapy to block the hormone estrogen. Each form of treatment has its benefits, drawbacks, and various methods. Doctors need to educate their patients thoroughly and in accessible, organized ways, so that patients can help choose the treatment that is right for them.
Often when there is a failure to diagnose breast cancer, it is because the doctor improperly read a test, mammogram or ultrasound wrong. Or, if a mammogram is improperly administered, the imaging results may not show the breast cancer. It is also not uncommon with the number of doctors involved in the care of a patient, that there can be miscommunication between the treating physician and radiologist or other assisting doctors such as an oncologist which could cause an error in diagnosis.
If you or a loved one have suffered serious complications related to a delayed diagnosis breast cancer, contact a Minnesota Medical Malpractice attorney at Kuhlman Law, LLC. We can help you to determine whether the care you received was up to medical standards. Call today to set up a free consultation at (612) 444-3374.