Misdiagnosis of Heart Attack and Cancer

Most people know when something just does not “feel right” with their bodies. While some will make an immediate trip to the doctor, others may wait and hope the feelings go away on their own. Regardless of how quickly people seek medical attention for potential health conditions, they rely on doctors to correctly identify illnesses and treat them in a timely manner.

When a doctor fails to properly detect a patient’s health problems and provide useful treatment options and that patient suffers further injury or wrongful death, that doctor may be held liable for medical malpractice. In an alarming study by Health Grades, Inc., patients in hospital settings were misdiagnosed 15.5% of the time and emergency room patients were misdiagnosed 20-40% of the time.

Two of the most common health conditions that are misdiagnosed are heart attacks and cancer.

Misdiagnosis of Heart Attack

As most people are aware, heart attacks can be fatal. Typically heart attacks occur in men over age 45, however women and younger adults can also suffer from this health condition which happens when there is a lack of oxygen to the heart muscle. Heart attack symptoms can be sudden and severe or the symptoms can only occur occasionally. The pain can start mild and become progressively more painful over time.

Heart attack symptoms can include:

· Chest pain, squeezing, pressure or burning

· Back pain or discomfort

· Pain or discomfort in one or both arms

· Neck or jaw discomfort

· Shortness of breath

· Cold sweat

· Vomiting or nausea

· Fatigue

· Lightheadedness

· Palpitations

Heart attacks are not the same for every individual which makes proper testing even more important. If you or a loved one experiences any symptoms of a heart attack, make sure your doctor or emergency room physicians run adequate tests to diagnose your condition, including:

• Stress tests


• Electrocardiograms


• Echocardiograms


• Coronary artery disease tests


• Cardiac enzyme tests


• Angiograms

Misdiagnosis of Cancer

Early detection and treatment of cancer can greatly improve a patient’s chance of survival. In some cases it is the individual’s responsibility to make sure that he or she follows a physician’s recommendations of frequent testing, such as mammograms, prostate exams or cervical exams. However, if physicians neglect to properly inform patients of the importance of tests or neglect to properly identify cancer symptoms in their patients, those physicians can be held accountable under medical malpractice lawsuits.

It is important that physicians not only perform proper tests but also correctly and quickly interpret the test results so treatment options can be discussed and implemented.

Symptoms of cancer can vary greatly depending on the type of cancer. Some cancer symptoms may include:

· Changes in moles or warts

· Unidentified lumps

· Reoccurring cough

· Unexplained weight gain or weight loss

· Bladder or bowel difficulties

· Abscess

· Bleeding

· Unsettled stomach or difficulty swallowing

A misdiagnosis of a heart attack or cancer may result in catastrophic injury or wrongful death. If you or a loved one has been a victim of a misdiagnosis, contact an attorney as quickly as possible to determine if you have a medical malpractice case.

Please contact the experienced medical malpractice attorneys of Snyder & Wenner, P.C. in Phoenix, Arizona for an initial case evaluation.