Skip to main content

Misdiagnosis of Early Stage Breast Cancer

A breast cancer diagnosis brings with it an array of burdens. Among them are frequent trips to the doctor, possible hospitalization, and any number of treatments which can have permanent repercussions. However, perhaps the worst of all is the emotional stress one feels upon hearing a cancer diagnosis.

New technologies can detect breast cancer at stage 0, also known as carcinoma in situ. On the surface, this is a medical advancement which has the potential to save many lives moving forward. However, cancers detected at this early stage can easily be misdiagnosed.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) are two breast cancers detected at stage 0. While most woman think of biopsies as being infallible in terms of diagnosing breast cancer, some reports indicate that upwards of 17 percent of DCIS incidences diagnosed via fine-needle biopsy are misdiagnosed. That percentage has prompted the federal government to begin funding a national study to further evaluate the problem.

Currently, there are no mandated requirements or diagnostic standards for pathologists who are reading and evaluating biopsies, which can lead to errors caused by inexperienced or lack of expertise.

According to a study by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a breast cancer survivor’s group, approximately 90,000 women diagnosed with DCIS or invasive breast cancer either didn’t actually have cancer or were recommended incorrect treatment due to pathologist error. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Questioned by the Police? - Don't Forget Your Rights

One of the special things about our country's criminal justice system is that if you are suspected or accused of committing a crime, you have certain fundamental rights. Unfortunately though, many people aren't aware of their rights, or, in the head of the moment, they forget about those rights. For instance, citizens who find themselves being questioned and in police custody may not even be aware that they have a basic fundamental right to have an attorney present any time they are being questioned by any branch of law enforcement. Truth is, having an attorney present if you are being quested is vitally important. Why is that? For one thing, an experienced criminal defense attorney can help you from incriminating yourself, can make sure that you don't answer questions that are designed to trick you, and can keep officers from asking the same question over and over again. Bottom line - having a criminal defense attorney on your side can help make sure that you don&#

Your Rights When You're Pulled Over for a Supected DUI

Fact is, most people don't even know their rights if they're pulled over! Here's a quick list of the most important rights you need to know and how the conversation may go if you are pulled over: "Do you know why I pulled you over?" It's typically the first thing you'll hear. It's also deliberately designed to get you to admit to certain behavior. Be polite and simply ask, "Why do you ask?" and then wait for a response. Do not comment. That phrase "anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law" is truer than you'll ever know, trust us. "Have you had anything to drink tonight? " If you truthfully have had nothing to drink that night, say, "No." If you've had something to drink, you don't have to share that information! Telling the officer that you've been drinking will be evidence used against you. Instead, say, "I have no statement to make." While it may seem u

Full Custody, Joint Custody, and Sole Custody - What You Need to Know

We figured it might be helpful to produce a short article that summarizes the key differences among different types of custody. Full custody: this means that one parent is granted the majority of custody time and legal rights for the child. Joint custody: in this situation, the parents can split the physical custody of the child, and then have just one of the parents handle the legal custody (and, as a result, make any major decisions on behalf of the child). More common is to have parents share legal custody and then have one parent awarded physical custody. True joint custody arrangements, in which parents share both physical and legal custody equally, tend to be rare because of the logistical and personal issues involved (scheduling, added stress, disruption of the child's routine, costs, etc.) Sole custody: this means that one parent is awarded full legal and physical custody. These arrangements are rare, and are typically only set up if one parent is deemed unfit or wh