Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers work in the sphere of some of the most advanced medical institutions in the world, research-based institutions that have earned excellent reputations. Yet cases involving misdiagnoses or a failure to diagnose one of the most common and often fatal diseases, colon cancer, are frequently handled by Pennsylvania medical mistake lawyers.

According to the American Cancer Society, nationwide, colon cancer is widespread and of huge impact:

• 102,480 new cases are diagnosed every year (on a related point, more than 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer are also identified).
• About one in 20 people get colon cancer, with slightly elevated risk for men.
• With 50,830 deaths annually, it is the second most deadly cancer in the United States.

As with almost all cancers, early detection makes the difference between premature death and long-term survival. Yet, a small percentage of medical practitioners simply fail to make a timely or accurate diagnosis that other, reasonably competent professionals are able to make. A Philadelphia medical malpractice attorney working on behalf a patient whose diagnosis came later than what would be optimal might uncover a doctor who failed to order tests for an individual with risk factors, or when radiologists or pathologists misread x-ray film or slides of a colonoscopy.

When a late diagnosis is made, the patient’s life might yet be saved but at a much higher cost, because the patient must undergo a much more aggressive treatment protocol. A late diagnosis can also lead to permanent disabilities and a loss of income. Speak with an attorney at [ln::firm_name]. who has experience in medical malpractice. Based in Philadelphia, the firm also has offices in Media, Pennsylvania and Westmont, New Jersey.