Medical Errors in Oncology: The Risks and the Right to Compensation
Medical errors in the oncology field are unfortunately very frequent. There is no shortage of cases in which, following control or prevention tests, the presence of serious problems is erroneously communicated or, on the contrary, the diagnosis of pathologies or other conditions is omitted. Both situations can prove to be risky for health, but if in the first case it is possible to bring out the truth through further investigations, in the second the patient’s life can be put at risk.
A diagnostic delay inevitably leads to a postponement of the start of treatment and compromises the timeliness of any interventions. Generally, a diagnostic delay can result from various factors such as an error by the healthcare provider performing the screening, a bad interpretation of the report by the specialist, the doctor’s decision not to carry out further investigations in case of doubt, or the incorrect reporting of a histological, cytological, or biopsy examination.
The professionals of Periplo Familiare – the first association in Italy committed to fighting damages from medical malpractice – offer free advice to victims of medical error and their families in order to protect their rights and obtain the right compensation. If you discover that you have cancer following a delay in diagnosis, which has resulted in a subsequent delay in treating your disease, you may be entitled to compensation.
“Generally, action is taken with a delay of 6 to 8 months, but it is necessary to distinguish case by case,” stated Dr. Francesca Piroso, Director of Periplo Familiare. “For example, it should be considered that for a melanoma, even a delay of just one month can cause serious damage to the patient’s health. We at Periplo Familiare help our clients in ascertaining medical responsibility and the damage actually suffered.”
You can request compensation for the worsening of the tumor, which passes to a later stage; when it is necessary to resort to more invasive surgical treatment; if the quality of life worsens due to the worsening of the disease or the lack of opportunity to face a decisive intervention; and with the death of the patient. The amount of compensation is commensurate with the loss of chance of survival.
“Our assistance begins with listening, understanding, and reassurance,” continued Dr. Piroso. “Then the Periplo Familiare staff, through a free consultation, checks whether there are elements of responsibility, and if so, proceeds with more in-depth investigations, and then begins a negotiation with the doctor or structure responsible for the error.”
All phases of the procedure are followed by the Association for the time necessary until fair compensation is obtained for the damages suffered. The association aims to ensure that victims of medical errors or their families are not left alone to face such a serious situation.