Typically, cancers are easier to treat when they are discovered in the earliest stages. In these stages, the cancer usually hasn’t spread and is still localized. Unfortunately, the survival rate for people with lung cancer, even in these cases, is not very good. According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year relative survival rate of people diagnosed with lung cancer in a localized stage is just over 50 percent.
That’s assuming the lung cancer was detected in the earliest stages. If a delayed lung cancer diagnosis occurs, the cancer may have spread to regional or distant parts of the body, making treatment much more difficult. The 5-year relative survival rate for people diagnosed with lung cancer in an advanced stage in which the cancer has not only spread regionally, but to distant organs, is just 4 percent.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with lung cancer in Georgia and feel you’ve suffered because of your doctor’s failure to diagnose it properly, we have many valuable resources available free to you upon request, such as our book, I Have Cancer…Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?. You may also wish to contact an experienced Atlanta medical malpractice and lung cancer lawyer at the Dover Law Firm at 770-518-1133 to schedule your no-charge appointment to discuss your situation.