Pittsburgh Skin Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer
Pennsylvania Failure to Diagnose Skin Cancer Lawyer
When detected early, melanoma is almost always curable through an outpatient procedure. When doctors miss telltale clues or misdiagnose melanomas as benign, the cancer can spread to other parts of the body, leading to invasive medical intervention or fatality.
If a loved one died or suffered painful treatment because of a delayed diagnosis of skin cancer, you may have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. The attorneys of Hal Waldman and Associates will pursue maximum compensation for the unforgivable medical errors.
Your skin cancer malpractice claim matters to us. We care. We are on your side. Call or e-mail our Pittsburgh law office to schedule a free conversation. We serve clients throughout Pennsylvania.
Medical Malpractice in Failure to Diagnose Melanoma (Skin Cancer)
Melanomas account for a fraction of all skin cancer cases, but four out of five skin cancer deaths. Localized melanomas are easily treated in a doctor’s office by removing the mole or diseased skin. There is a 99 percent survival rate when melanomas are caught at this stage.
When the cancer has spread beyond the skin, more drastic measures are necessary: surgery to remove large patches of skin or lymph nodes, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the above. The survival rate five years after diagnosis is 65 percent for regional melanomas, but only 15 percent when the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body.
Our role is to prove that the melanoma could have and should have been detected at an early, treatable stage. There are known risk factors, including heavy exposure to sun or severe sunburns as a child, fair complexion, exposure to certain industrial chemicals, numerous moles on the body, and family history of skin cancer and other cancers.
There are also telltale symptoms of melanoma:
- Changes in the skin, especially the size, shape or color of a mole
- Skin lesions or lumps that ooze, bleed or change in appearance
- Tenderness, pain, itchiness or loss of sensation
- Pigmentation that “leaks” into surrounding areas of skin
Did the Doctor Take the Right Precautions?
We have held family physicians, skin specialists, radiologists and other medical professionals accountable for medical malpractice for errors that resulted in the spread of melanomas and other skin cancers:
- Failing to perform a shaved biopsy of the affected skin or fine-needle biopsy when lymph node involvement is indicated
- Failing to examine skin during routine checkups, especially when the person has known risk factors for melanoma
- Misdiagnosis of malignant melanoma as benign (non-melanoma) skin cancer
- Lab errors and mistakes in interpreting biopsy results
- Failing to take aggressive measures when melanoma is diagnosed
The Experience and Resources to Fight for Compensation
Hal Waldman and Associates is prepared to go to trial if necessary to secure just compensation for negligence in delayed diagnosis: surgery, chemo and radiation, lost earnings, emotional pain and suffering, and loss of a chance for early diagnosis that would have saved the patient’s life or avoided painful, invasive treatment.
To make an appointment for a free evaluation of your claim, call a Pittsburgh skin cancer misdiagnosis attorney of Hal Waldman and Associates at 412-338-1000 or use our online contact form.