When it comes to mesothelioma, due to the aggressive nature of the disease, prompt treatment is important to alleviate symptoms. The sooner that the cancer can be identified and the treatment can start, the more effective the treatment will be.
This is why a missed diagnosis or a delayed diagnosis can be so detrimental to someone’s health. If the doctor makes a mistake, the patient may see a delay of months before the correct diagnosis is made. By this point, the cancer could have spread to other organs and other parts of the body, and treatment could be impossible – or at least much more difficult. But why would this happen?
Presenting similar symptoms
In many cases, it’s just because mesothelioma has similar symptoms to other conditions. For instance, it can lead to a loss of appetite, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, constipation, nausea and vomiting, swelling in the abdomen or pain in the abdominal area – which could include a painful mass.
But all of these symptoms could also be related to something that is much less serious, like a stomach ulcer. This could also cause someone to feel discomfort and they may not have an appetite, causing them to lose weight. But if the doctor assumes that it’s an ulcer when the patient actually has mesothelioma, that’s when the patient could experience such a detrimental delay in necessary treatment.
Your legal options
Mesothelioma is aggressive and that means that the treatment is often very expensive. If you are suffering from this disease, take the time to carefully look into all of the legal options that you have at your disposal. You need to know what steps to take moving forward.