Oncology and Cancer Clinical Negligence Claims

Advances in medicine mean that many cancers are now treatable, but as this relies heavily on when the cancer is diagnosed and when the appropriate treatment begins, early detection in cancers can be very important and will sometimes be the key to whether or not a patient will survive. Where there are delays in diagnosing cancer, patients may be deprived of the chance of a cure, or the opportunity to provide palliative care may be lost.

  • Bladder

    The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ which stores urine and bladder cancer is a disease which forms in the tissue of the bladder, and in which abnormal cells multiply uncontrollably.  Common symptoms of bladder cancer include blood in the urine, pain during urination, and feeling the need to urinate but without being able to do so. 

  • Bowel

    Around 30,000 new cases of bowel cancer are diagnosed in England and Wales each year with cancer of this type often starting off as a polyp, which can take many years to become cancerous. However, if the polyp is removed, the cancer should not develop.

  • Breast

    With about 37,000 new cases diagnosed each year in England and Wales, breast cancer is the most common cancer for women and early diagnosis is key. Early-stage tumours have generally not had an opportunity to spread significantly within the breast, or to other organs. 

  • Leukaemias

    Leukaemia is a cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterised by an abnormal multiplication of blood cells where normal bone marrow cells will generally be displaced by immature white blood cells, resulting in a lack of blood platelets.  This means that leukaemia sufferers may experience bruising, or excessive bleeding.  Their immune system may be affected, and the deficiency in red blood cells may lead to anaemia.  Other symptoms might include fever, fatigue, and joint pain. 

  • Other

    Oncologists deal with a wide range of cancers including lung cancer, ovarian cancer and pancreatic cancer, with some cancers being more common than others.  Lung cancer is one of the more common cancers, and cases involving lung cancer might incorporate a failure to refer the patient to a specialist following a persistent cough and other recognised symptoms of the disease, or the misreporting of chest x-rays.

  • Prostate

    Cancer of the prostate is a serious disease affecting a small gland at the base of the male bladder, which produces a protein called prostate specific antigen (PSA).  This cancer is very common in the UK but successful treatment relies heavily on early diagnosis. 

  • Skin

    It is estimated that over 75,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the UK, and it is now one of the most common cancers in the country.  Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, mainly affecting people in the 15 - 39 age group, more often in women.

Feedback Form