Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis - Compensation Claims Solicitor

Legal Helpline: ☎ 1800 529 835

If you would like legal advice regarding any delay in diagnosis of your breast cancer or if you have concerns regarding the way in which your breast cancer was treated, contact our legal advice line or complete the online contact form. Should you be eligible for negligence compensation, our breast cancer misdiagnosis solicitors may provide legal presentation on a No Win No Fee contract.

Breast cancer is the growth of a malignant tumor within the tissue of the patient. There are different types of breast cancer, each of which carries its own symptoms. The most common (~80%) is invasive ductal carcinoma, which is a tumor that started inside the milk duct of the breast, and has broken through the duct wall and has started growing in the fatty tissue. The second most common is invasive lobular carcinoma, which is similar to ductal carcinoma, but started in the glands instead of ducts. Then, there are much more rare cases such as inflammatory breast cancer, Paget disease of the nipple, Phyllodes tumor, and Angiosarcoma, all of which account for less than 10% of all breast cancer cases.

There is another form of disease that is considered pre-cancerous that must go mentioned. Ductal carcinoma in situ is a form of pre-cancer that in which the cells inside the milk duct look cancerous, but haven’t broken through the duct wall yet, therefore not allowing it to spread. A portion of these cases, left untreated, may go on to become invasive ductal carcinoma cases, and therefore must be treated.

The only cancer that has significant symptoms in the early stages is the inflammatory breast cancer, which often appears like an infection of the breast like mastitis.

Below is some information on staging:

Stage 1 – the tumor is 2 cm or smaller, and can typically only be detected by mammogram.

Stage 2 – the tumor is either 2cm or smaller, but has spread to 1-3  axillary lymph nodes, or it is between 2cm and 5 cm, or larger than 5cm (stage 2B) with no lymph nodes. These can be found during a breast self examination and by a mammogram, but no other symptoms usually exist.

Stage 3 – the tumor is larger than 5cm, and may have small clusters, has spread to 4-9 axillary lymph nodes, or  has spread to the lymph nodes near the breastbone. These can be found during a breast self examination and by a mammogram, but no other symptoms usually exist.

Stage 4 – the cancer has reached metastasis, and has spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms may exist for this stage, but will vary widely depending on where it has spread.

As can be seen in the descriptions of stages, early detection is vitally important, as the first time a visible symptom will show may be during stage 4. The reason this is important can be seen in the prognosis. Stage 1 has a 100% survival rate, stage 2 a 93% rate, stage 3 a 72% rate, and stage 4 a 22% rate. It should be clear that the first time that breast cancer is detected, it is immensely important to get treatment as soon as possible, before it spreads to the lymph nodes or the tumor grows larger. It should also be noted that the first time any symptoms are shown beyond a positive mammogram or self-examination (stage IV), the prognosis is only a 22% chance for survival.

Breast cancer misdiagnosis can have deadly consequences. A failure to make a timely diagnosis can result in a poor prognosis, and this may be actionable under the law of negligence. Speak with our breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyers today to find out about your rights to compensation.

Terms of Use and Privacy Policy