Ovarian cancer misdiagnosis claims

Ovarian cancer misdiagnosis can mean treatment is delayed and the disease has time to develop and spread. Where you have been misdiagnosed, you may be entitled to make an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis claim.

Prompt diagnosis and early treatment of ovarian cancer can often mean the patient has a good chance of making a full recovery. Misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer however can mean the disease has a chance to spread to other parts of your body, making it more difficult to treat, and inflicting a far greater amount of suffering on the victim and their family. If you have suffered an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis, you may be entitled to make a compensation claim to help address this additional suffering.

 

Making an Ovarian Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim

Any action on the part of medical professional that contributes to a misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer, and subsequently delayed treatment, could mean you are entitled to make a compensation claim.

Should you, following consultation with a legal expert, decide to proceed with such a claim, the extent to which your misdiagnosis can be shown to have worsened your condition and / or your prognosis will play a central part in determining how much ovarian cancer misdiagnosis compensation you eventually receive.

GPs receive extensive training in how to recognise the signs of ovarian cancer, and which precautions to take in order to avoid a misdiagnosis. As such, instances such as the following could constitute acts of negligence on the part of your doctor(s), and are good examples of where it may be appropriate to make a compensation claim for misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer:

  • Where upon presenting to your doctor with symptoms that may indicate a threat of ovarian cancer, he or she fails to conduct the necessary medical tests or investigations to determine whether or not this is the case.
  • Where you doctor fails to follow up on or investigate further test results which produce an abnormal or concerning result.
  • Where your doctor fails to refer you to a specialist to examine potentially concerning test results or indications.
  • Where medical professionals responsible for your care repeatedly misdiagnose your ovarian cancer as another, less serious affliction.
  • Where medical professionals fail to administer the correct care, or do so via the wrong means / method.
  • Where your condition is misdiagnosed as being ovarian cancer when in fact it is not, leading to significant mental anguish and potentially to unnecessary and / or harmful treatment procedures.

These circumstances do not denote an exhaustive list of situations where it may be appropriate to make a claim for ovarian cancer misdiagnosis. If you are unhappy with the manner in which your condition was diagnosed, or with the treatment you have subsequently received you should seek advice from a legal expert to determine whether making an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis claim is the right path for you.

Get expert legal advice

Call and speak to Jason Brady, specialist medical negligence solicitor, today. Find out if you can claim compensation.

CALL 0800 083 5500

When you contact Blackwater Law Clinical negligence solicitors you’ll speak to expert advisors with extensive experience in handling ovarian cancer misdiagnosis claims, and securing the maximum possible compensation based on the individual circumstances of each and every one. Ranked by the Legal 500 as one of the leading legal teams in the South East, we’ll deliver the very best support right through the claims process, keeping you informed at every stage.

No win, no fee claims for ovarian cancer misdiagnosis

We understand just how devastating an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis can be on your health, your family life, and on your finances, and how raising the money required to launch an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim will most likely be the last thing on your mind. That’s why we undertake all of our clinical negligence compensation claims – including those relating to ovarian cancer – on a no win, no fee basis.

That means that unless we win your case, you’ll never be required to pay us a penny. What’s more, whilst our fees are capped according to strict government regulations, the amount you could potentially receive in compensation is subject is subject to no upper limit; meaning you get a fair deal – guaranteed.

 

Ovarian Cancer Stages and Grades

When you are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, one of the first things that will be happen is your conditioned with be assessed to determine which stage the disease has reached. This essentially summarises how far the disease has spread through your body, and an ovarian cancer misdiagnosis makes it more likely you be diagnosed with a later-stage form of the disease.

  • Stage 1: This is where the cancer remains confined to one or both of your ovaries
  • Stage 2: Where the cancer has spread from your ovaries into the pelvis or into the womb
  • Stage 3: This is where the cancer has spread to the stomach, the surface of your bowel or the lymph glands in your pelvis or stomach
  • Stage 4: This is the most serious stage where the disease has spread throughout your body to regions such as your liver or your lungs

Your condition will also be graded from 1 to 3, according to how aggressive your ovarian cancer is, and how quickly it is likely to spread. Avoiding ovarian cancer misdiagnoses is particularly important where the patient is suffering from a more aggressive form of the disease, as the window for successful treatment is smaller.

Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer

There are well established procedures for diagnosing ovarian cancer, and should they be followed sufficiently, misdiagnosis should seldom occur.

When you present to your GP with concerns about ovarian cancer, he or she should begin by performing a general inquiry as to your symptoms and your health. They should then perform a gentle examination of your stomach, checking for bumps or lumps. They may then carry out an internal examination, and inquire as to whether you have a family history of ovarian or breast cancer.

Should your GP still have concerns as to possibility of ovarian cancer, he or she should perform a blood test to identify the presence of CA125; a substance emitted by some ovarian cancer cells. Elevated levels of CA125 may be indicative of ovarian cancer, but this is not a certainty as higher levels of the substance can also result from other conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids or even just pregnancy. Should elevated levels of CA125 be found in your blood without one of these alternative explanations, you should be referred for an ultrasound scan.

Ultrasound scans can be performed in one of two ways; an abdominal ultrasound uses an ultrasound probe device to create an image of your ovaries whilst it is moved over your stomach, whilst a transvaginal ultrasound uses the same device inserted into your vagina instead. If abnormal and / or concerning results are found during your ultrasound scan, you should be referred to a hospital specialist for further examination.

Specialists will then be able to diagnose any ovarian cancer using a range of tests tailored specifically to this purpose:

  • CT scans: These are where X-rays scans are performed from multiple angles to develop a detailed picture of your ovaries
  • X-Rays may also be performed in your chest region to determine if the cancer has spread to your lungs
  • Needle Biopsies: These may be used to extract a piece of potentially cancerous tissue from your ovaries for closer examination
  • Laparoscopies: These are where small surgical incisions are made to the stomach, and a thin tube inserted with a camera on the end inserted, allowing doctors to get a detailed picture of your ovaries upfront – a small amount of tissue may again be removed for further examination in such instances

The aforementioned tests can not only determine the presence of ovarian cancer, but often the stage and grade as well. Following these steps efficiently and with attention to detail should avoid instances of ovarian cancer misdiagnosis.

Causes of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is essentially the rapid growth and development of ovarian cysts; collections of abnormal cells in one or both ovaries. No definitive cause for the disease has yet been identified, however some medical experts speculate that the disease can develop as a result of faulty genes, including breast cancer genes 1 and 2 (BRCA1 and BRCA2).

Some groups of women are known to be at higher risk of contracting ovarian cancer than most, these include:

  • Those who have never had children
  • Those who have in the past taken fertility drugs
  • Women aged over 50

Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

The risks presented by ovarian cancer and its ability to spread are significant, hence treatment plans are often very aggressive, consisting of a full hysterectomy. This will entail the removal of your ovaries, your fallopian tubes, and your uterus, and depending on your doctors’ assessment of the disease’s progression, potentially your lymph nodes and any surrounding abdominal tissue as well.

Chemotherapy may also be prescribed to kill off any remaining cancerous cells and prevent their return.

A misdiagnosis of ovarian cancer heightens the risks of it spreading to other areas of the body, and as such will likely require a more comprehensive hysterectomy and a greater chance of chemotherapy being required afterwards.

Specialists in Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims

Our clinical negligence solicitors have successfully helped people who have suffered cancer misdiagnoses in relation to all forms of the disease. If your care in the build-up to a thyroid cancer, bladder cancer or ovarian cancer diagnosis – or your care thereafter – was substandard we can help you; and we encourage you to get in touch.

We have the knowledge and experience to successfully take on all manner of cancer misdiagnosis claims – but it’s important you get in contact as soon as possible, as time restrictions may apply to your case.

 

Get expert legal advice

Call and speak to Jason Brady, specialist medical negligence solicitor, today. Find out if you can claim compensation.

CALL 0800 083 5500

Blackwater Law client testimonial

I chose Blackwater Law straight away after just one phone call and I’ve never regretted it from that day to this.

Mr Shaw, as featured in video above.

Blackwater Law medical negligence solicitors acted for Mr L in a medical negligence claim in the High Court after he was misdiagnosed. The misdiagnosis meant he went on to suffer a serious stroke-causing life-limiting disability.


 

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