Once the word cancer is out of your doctor’s mouth it is difficult to pay attention to what comes next. Yet, it is important to do so. There is, for example, a big difference between stage 1 cancer and stage 4 cancer. A lot can be learned about the treatments that you require and your odds of survival simply by the stage at which your cancer is diagnosed.
Understanding the Different Cancer Stages
Different factors determine which stage of cancer you may have, and the staging varies among different types of cancer. However, in general:
- Stage I means that the cancer is localized to one part of the body.
- Stage II means that cancer has advanced to other parts of the body including the lymph nodes on one side of the body.
- Stage III means that cancer has progressed to other parts of the body including lymph nodes on both sides of the body.
- Stage IV means the cancer has metastasized and spread to a major organ or throughout the body.
Why Do You Have a Late Stage Cancer?
There are many reasons why you may have late stage cancer. For example, your disease may have shown no symptoms until it was at a late stage, or you may not have gone to the doctor for a diagnosis. In those situations you likely do not have a legal recovery for cancer malpractice.
However, if your cancer progressed to a late stage because of your doctor’s negligence, then you may have the right to recover damages for the misdiagnosis of cancer. To learn more about your rights, please contact our experienced Atlanta failure to diagnose attorneys at 1.770.518.1133, and please read our FREE book: I Have Cancer, Should It Have Been Caught Earlier?