Failure to Diagnose Cancer Led to One Mother’s Death

On behalf of Hastings Law Firm P.C. posted in Failure to Diagnose on Tuesday, December 31, 2013.

A mother’s missed diagnosis led to her untimely death, one son claims. After what many in Texas may believe to be more than enough doctor’s visits — a total of 15 — the failure to diagnose was clear. Her son alleges that the long delay in diagnosing her pancreatic cancer allowed the cancer the time it needed to spread and to, eventually, claim her life.

Five doctors, 15 doctor visits and a multitude of tests led to one wrong conclusion. Even after she dropped over 20 pounds in less than half a year, doctors claimed that the woman’s extreme back pain that brought her back again and again was simply from improper posture. She was sent for physiotherapy, but things only worsened.

When the pain became so intense that she was hospitalized, the truth came out. She was not suffering the ill effects of improper posture — she had pancreatic cancer. Testing revealed that the cancer was no longer confined to her pancreas and had spread throughout nearby organs. Shortly afterward, the woman succumbed to her cancer and passed away.

Her son alleges that her symptoms were obvious. The apparent negligence of not one but five doctors and the dismissal of her intense back pain and rapid weight loss were contributing factors to her ultimate death. While her son has yet to file a medical malpractice suit for the doctors’ failure to diagnose his mother’s cancer, he has moved forward with filing a complaint concerning the doctors and medical center that misdiagnosed her. Texas families struggling with similar situations and wondering what steps to take after a failure to diagnose led to a family member’s death, may find filing a medical malpractice suit helpful. It may not heal all of the emotional pain and suffering that sometimes accompanies these situations, but might be the first step toward justice for a loved one lost due to medical malpractice.

Source: parentherald.com, Doctors Unable to Diagnose Mom’s Cancer Even After 15 Visits, Camille H, Dec. 27, 2013