Skin cancer misdiagnosis claims

Making a Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim

Where it can be shown that a medical professional’s actions, or lack of, can be directly linked to the delay, denial or incorrect administration of vital treatment following a misdiagnosis, you may be able to make a skin cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim. Your case will subsequently be examined according to how the misdiagnosis has affected the progression of the disease, and any additional suffering inflicted as a result.

There are a number of scenarios where the actions of a medical professional might be said to have fallen below the expected standard, making it possible to launch a skin cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim:

• • Where your doctor fails to carry out an adequate medical examination and / or assessment when you present to them symptoms which might indicate a risk of skin cancer.
  • In instances where your doctor fails to inform you of significant and potentially dangerous changes or growths in a suspicious abnormality in your skin.
  • Where the pathologists responsible for examining any suspicious tissues taken from your skin for analysis fail to pick up on key signs of skin cancer.
  • Where doctors succeed in identifying cancerous cells, but still misdiagnose the skin cancer through failing to accurately identify which form of the condition you are suffering from, and subsequently how it might be treated.
  • Where doctors do not adequately inform patients as to their treatment options and the associated risks of side-effects that these carry.
  • When surgery is performed to remove cancerous tissues, but inadequate care or precision is utilised – leading to nerve damage, damage to surrounding organs or to subsequent infection(s).
  • Instances were a skin cancer misdiagnosis is produced when the patient does not in fact have any form of the disease, causing a great deal of panic and psychological trauma to them and to their family.

  The aforementioned circumstances do not denote a comprehensive list of situations where it may be appropriate to launch a skin cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim. If you are unhappy with the care you have received in the build up to or post-skin cancer diagnosis, it’s important that you seek expert legal advice to determine whether or not you could make a claim.

Blackwater Law medical negligence solicitors are recognised by the Legal 500 as one of the leading providers of legal advice and support in the South East.

Our legal experts can offer the knowledge and the experience necessary to determine quickly and accurately whether or not you could make a compensation claim for skin cancer misdiagnosis. What’s more, if you decide to do so, with us, you can be sure we’ll fight to secure you the maximum possible compensation sum available, while supporting you at every stage in the process and always keeping you informed as to your case’s latest developments.

Melanoma Skin Cancer

Melanoma is a form of skin cancer known to have the capacity to spread to other parts of the body, and is commonly found in areas like the back in men and the legs in women. Whilst it can be found anywhere on the body, it’s rarely discovered in areas which are regularly shielded from the sun, such as the buttocks or the scalp.

Melanoma cancers typically have an irregular shape, and display more than one colour. They can also occur in moles – which change in appearance and may begin to bleed.

There are a number of subdivisions within melanoma cancers which may exhibit different characteristics:

Superficial Spreading Melanoma:

Accounting for around 70% of melanoma cancers, these are especially common in those with pale skin and / or freckles. Typically, they initially begin to grow outwards, posing little risk to the patient, but they may begin to grow inwards and pose a risk of spreading to deeper bodily tissues.

Nodular Melanoma:

Frequently occurring on previously normal tissue, these black or red-shaped moles are more dangerous as they can quickly begin to grow inwards / downwards to deeper tissue and pose a significant risk of spreading. They commonly bleed or ooze discharges.

Lentigo Maligna Melanoma:

Representing around 10% of all melanoma skin cancer cases, these typically occur in the elderly – particularly those who have spent a considerable amount of time outdoors – and particularly in areas of their body which have received a great deal of sun exposure. Initially these cancers grow sideways forming layers across the skin, but they may change shape and direction later on, posing a greater risk to patient health.

Acral Lentiginous Melanoma:

These are an especially rare form of cancer that normally develop on the palms or on the soles of the feet, particularly around the large toe. They are more common amongst those with a darker skin tone, but can occur in anyone.

Amelanotic Melanoma:

Accounting for around 5% of melanoma cancers, these generally have little to no colour. In some instances they can however be observed as a lighter shade of red or pink, and may exhibit light brown or grey edges.

Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer

These forms of cancer are generally far more common than their aforementioned counterparts, but thankfully generally thought to be less serious.

They typically manifest as lumps or bumps on the surface of the skin which remain for durations of several weeks, months or years, eventually growing into a tumour. In the majority of cases they are red and firm, and a large proportion eventually turn into ulcers. They can also be observed as patches of scaly, cancerous skin that remains flat.

Again, they typically develop in areas of skin that receive a large amount of sun exposure, and there are a number of subdivisions:

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC):

Accounting for around 75% of cases, BCC’s develop in the cells that line the bottom of the epidermis and are sometimes referred to as rodent ulcers.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC):

These constitute around 20% of cases and develop in the upper lining of the epidermis.

Bowen’s Disease:

This is a pre-cancerous form of SCC that develops slowly, and can usually be treated before it becomes a full SCC.

Doctors should also be wary of Actinic Keratosis, which – whilst not strictly classified as a non-melanoma skin cancers in its own right – denotes areas of severely sun-damaged, scaly skin that possesses the potential to become so.

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

When you present your GP with symptoms that could potentially indicate skin cancer, they should perform a medical examination in order to discern whether or not your affliction warrants further investigation.

In order to counter the risks of a skin cancer misdiagnosis, you will then be referred to a hospital-based specialist to investigate any lingering doubts – using more advanced testing procedures. This usually involves a biopsy, where areas of affected tissue are removed and examined under a microscope for signs of abnormalities.

Where a melanoma cancer is suspected you may also undergo further testing to discover whether or not the cancer has spread to your lymph glands (nodes); this is known as a sentinel node biopsy.

It is important that doctors exercise the utmost care and attention at each and every stage of the diagnostic process, as missed details or inaccurate evaluations of affected tissues can lead to skin cancer misdiagnosis, and subsequently a great deal of undue suffering for the patient. Where this is the case, any additional suffering you are forced to endure as a result will be taken into account during the course of any subsequent compensation claim you make for skin cancer misdiagnosis.

Skin Cancer Treatment

Treatment of skin cancer should be conducted by a multidisciplinary team with the greatest care and attention to detail. Your precise course of treatment will vary according to your circumstances and preferences, but the type of cancer you have, combined with how advanced it is and the state of your general health should form the basis for any discussion on the matter.

A number of treatment methods might then be employed to help you overcome your skin cancer:

• Surgical removal of the mole / cancer / tumour
• Cryotherapy: the rapid freezing and thawing of cancerous tissues in order to kill them off
• Electrocautery: the use of an electrical current to induce rapid heating of cancerous tissues, again aimed at killing them
• Radiotherapy: targeting of cancerous tissues with concentrated microwaves / radio waves
• Chemotherapy: where doctors administer potent medications which act to inhibit tumour growth and relieve symptoms

In some instances a single course of treatment may be enough, whilst in others a combination of different treatments may be required. Some treatment paths – particularly radiotherapy and chemotherapy – are known to produce adverse side-effects, resulting in significant discomfort for the patient.

Early recognition and treatment of the disease yields greater prospects of success, whilst a skin cancer misdiagnosis can introduce the need for more severe, unpleasant treatment methods and reduce the patient’s overall chances of making a full recovery.