Parental instinct has kicked in and you know that something is wrong with your child. You have taken your teenager to the pediatrician and you, and your child, have described the worrisome symptoms. You may have even brought up the dreaded word – cancer. However, your pediatrician may be dismissive of your concerns and may not perform the appropriate cancer screenings.
The Risk of Cancer is Lower But Not Negligible for Teens
Teenagers typically do not get cancer at the same rates as adults, but they are, unfortunately not immune from the disease. Likewise, they are not immune from a doctor’s failure to diagnose cancer or from a cancer misdiagnosis.
Doctors Have the Same Responsibilities to Teen Patients
A doctor is required to exercise reasonable care in the screening and diagnosis of teen patients, just as a doctor is required to do for adult patients. If your child exhibited symptoms and/or risk factors that would have led a reasonable doctor to conduct further tests and make a diagnosis but your child’s doctor failed to do that, then your child may be the victim of medical malpractice.
You Can Help Your Teen by Advocating for a Proper Diagnosis
If you find that your pediatrician is not listening to your concerns, then it is important to get a second opinion and to continue to advocate for your child until you are confident that a proper diagnosis of your child’s condition has been made.
Contact an Atlanta Cancer Malpractice Lawyer if Your Child Has Been Hurt
Cancer malpractice may have caused your child to suffer through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or drug therapy that would not have been necessary if the disease had been caught early. Worse, the cancer misdiagnosis may have cost your child his life.
Our experienced Atlanta medical malpractice lawyers want to help your child, and your family, if this has happened. Please contact us at 1.770.518.1133 today for a free consultation and please read our FREE book: Cancer: Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Errors for more information about your rights.