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Breast Cancer Misdiagnoses in Younger Women
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Breast Cancer Misdiagnoses in Younger Women
Posted by: Don Caminiti
March 03, 2010
Topic: Medical Misdiagnosis
Every year, breast cancer kills more than 40,000 women and affects the lives of many more. And, each year, millions of dollars are spent on campaigns encouraging women to get checked and take the right precautions.
Despite numerous advertisements and studies, many women believe that breast cancer is a disease confined to middle-aged women. While this is mostly true - over 90 percent of breast cancer cases occur in women 40-years-old and older - it is not always the case.
Even physicians can forget this important point: in cases where younger women complain of strange lumps or tenderness in their breasts, physicians are far more likely to misdiagnose the breast cancer, often setting the young woman up for far more pain and disfigurement later on.
Despite the lower percentage of breast cancer cases involving younger women, these misdiagnoses still happen thousands of times every year.
One of the most common breast cancer misdiagnoses is fibrocystic disease, which causes the development of benign cysts in the breasts. While non-cancerous, the fluid-filled cysts can mimic the shape and feel of breast cancer.
Many physicians, confronted with a concerned young woman, will wrongly assume that lumps are a result of fibrocystic disease, rather than breast cancer, and stop short of ordering further tests.
Later on, when the right tests are finally ordered, it can be too late to get a jumpstart on cancer treatment.
For victims of breast cancer misdiagnosis, the first priority is to get appropriate treatment as soon as possible. After this, an experienced attorney can help you determine whether you have a medical malpractice case and, if so, how to proceed.
