Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis - Medical Negligence Solicitors
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia with over 10,000 people diagnosed every year and is usually caused by smoking. There are two types of lung cancer and they are treated differently. Symptoms of lung cancer may include coughing, longstanding chest infection, breathlessness, blood-stained phlegm, hoarse voice, a dull ache or a sharp pain, loss of appetite, loss of weight, difficulty swallowing and excessive tiredness or lethargy.
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Treatment
Most people who experience these symptoms will visit their doctor who should arrange for chest x-rays without delay. Failure to act at this stage is medical negligence and is effectively a misdiagnosis. If the x-ray indicates lung cancer, the victim will be referred on to a specialist for diagnosis and subsequent treatment which can include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, cancer growth inhibitors, radiofrequency ablation and other less common treatments including cryosurgery, diathermy, photodynamic therapy and antiangiogenesis drugs. Following treatment a doctor should arrange adequate follow up including further x-rays to ensure that any recurrence is treated expediently. As with most other cancers speed of diagnosis is important as early treatment gives a better chance of a cure.