A cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia claim is for when a medical professional misses the signs of cancer. The two conditions may be similar, but for a doctor to misdiagnose cancer as fibromyalgia can be medical negligence.
Cancer needs an early diagnosis for medical treatment to be effective. A cancer misdiagnosis delays treatment and reduces your chances of making a full recovery.
A cancer negligence claim is for the damages caused by the medical negligence of a doctor. The claim will get you the compensation to cover your financial losses and future medical care needs.
A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will take your cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia claim for compensation against those responsible for negligence.
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What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a condition of chronic pain, fatigue, poor sleep and nearly every part of the body feeling tender to the touch. The chronic element of the disease indicates that fibromyalgia is long-lasting and can be for life.
Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include sensitivity to light and many digestive issues, such as stomach and bowel problems.
Patients with fibromyalgia have sleep issues with daytime fatigue and a difficulty sleeping at night. People report a ‘fibro fog’ where they cannot think properly, and concentration is nearly impossible. Depression and headaches are accompanying symptoms.
Muscular pain throughout the body and constant, severe pain in the jaw and facial area are other common symptoms of fibromyalgia, along with pelvic floor problems.
Fibromyalgia has many symptoms but not any tests for definitive overall indicators. A doctor can test for and diagnose cancer and to misdiagnose fibromyalgia as cancer should not happen.
How can fibromyalgia be mistaken for cancer?
Fibromyalgia can be mistaken for cancer when your doctor is negligent in your treatment. Instead of dealing with your symptoms, ordering and following up on the correct tests, they make an unprofessional decision on your condition from only your symptoms.
Fibromyalgia and cancer have similar symptoms. While a doctor may look at fibromyalgia symptoms and come to a diagnosis, they should not do so without further investigation.
Symptoms common to fibromyalgia and cancer:
The crossover in symptoms between fibromyalgia and cancer can lead to a misdiagnosis of cancer as fibromyalgia. A doctor making a professional diagnosis should not settle on fibromyalgia when cancer may be a possibility.
The diagnosis of fibromyalgia is complicated and is only made by a physical examination. Symptoms of both cancer and fibromyalgia should be investigated thoroughly and without error.
Suffering the effects of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia can be a lifelong issue for many patients.
What are the effects of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia?
The effects of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia are delays in treatment and unnecessary suffering for the patient.
Common effects of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia are:
Misdiagnosed cancer spreading in the body
Misdiagnosed cancer spreading in the body is a common effect of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia. Bone cancer spreading through the spine into the lungs or brain happens in many cancer misdiagnosis claims.
A doctor, instead of referring you for tests, makes a quick diagnosis of fibromyalgia when you present with chronic back pain. They should order full tests and maybe refer you to an oncologist. The pain is eventually discovered to be cancer when it spreads to the lungs but with the loss of vital treatment time.
A doctor should not diagnose fibromyalgia before carrying out other vital tests.
Bladder cancer misdiagnosed as pelvic problems
Bladder cancer misdiagnosed as pelvic problems is another issue due to medical negligence by a doctor. The doctor, seeing your pelvic problems, assumes they are due to fibromyalgia and makes a rushed diagnosis.
The missed bladder cancer can quickly spread, and the effects may be the removal of the bladder. The lifelong effects of having urinary and other toilet problems can be embarrassing and a disability for the sufferer.
The problem of pelvic problems from bladder cancer being misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia is prevalent in women.
You may have a successful medical negligence claim for compensation if you are misdiagnosed as having fibromyalgia.
Delays in treatment for cancer
Delays in treatment for cancer allow the condition to get worse, especially at the crucial early stages of the disease.
Early intervention is known to be vital in cancer treatment. Beginning treatment and making lifestyle adjustments can hasten recovery when you are still strong and can fight cancer.
A cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia means you are being treated for the condition, and doctors becoming focused on fibromyalgia only.
The delays in diagnosing your cancer and beginning treatment will seriously affect your ability to fight the cancer when it is diagnosed.
Suffering side effects of fibromyalgia treatment
Suffering the side effects of fibromyalgia treatment can be draining on your body at a time when you need all your strength to fight the missed cancer.
Fibromyalgia treatment includes heavy doses of painkillers, which are increased if symptoms do not improve. You may also be put on anti-depressants and anti-seizure medication to relieve some of the expected fibromyalgia symptoms.
The side effects of high doses of painkillers can be liver and stomach problems. Anti-depressants and anti-seizure medication will dull the brain and have you feeling fatigued all the time.
You should be fighting the cancer, not trying to get used to fibromyalgia treatment side effects.
Stigma from having a difficult-to-diagnose illness
Stigma from having a difficult-to-diagnose illness such as fibromyalgia can seriously affect your life.
As fibromyalgia is difficult to diagnose and is often seen as being purely psychological and is sometimes termed a Malingerer’s condition.
Doctors and colleagues at work may treat you differently when in reality, you should be starting treatment for cancer.
The stigma of having a difficult-to-diagnose disease may have the effect of you withdrawing from life when you should be getting properly diagnosed with cancer.
Death of a patient
Death of a patient from cancer can be an eventual effect of cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia.
Your doctor may continue to treat you for fibromyalgia and increase treatment if your symptoms do not improve. Instead of taking a second look at your symptoms, they continue down the fibromyalgia route and miss the cancer diagnosis.
If left untreated, cancer will spread quickly throughout the body. The cancer will get worse, and often by the time it is correctly diagnosed, it is beyond effective treatment.
A No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will claim compensation against those responsible for fatal medical negligence.
Who is at fault for a cancer misdiagnosis?
A medical professional is at fault for a cancer misdiagnosis. Instead of spotting the signs and symptoms of bone cancer, bladder cancer or lymphoma, they misdiagnose it as fibromyalgia, and you, the patient, will suffer.
Medical negligence is below an acceptable standard of treatment by a medical professional. Instead of doing a full order of tests, the doctor misdiagnosed your cancer as fibromyalgia, which is clear medical negligence.
You may undergo years of treatment for fibromyalgia instead of cancer therapy. The doctor, by behaving in a less than professional manner, puts your life at risk.
Cancer misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia is medical negligence, and you can claim compensation.
Our Process
Our team members have a higher career win rate with a 75% success rate on NHS letters of claim, compared to an industry average of 54.5%.
Enquiry
The first step is to get in touch and tell us what went wrong. It’s free and easy. Call our 24-hour helpline: 0800 246 1122 or request a callback here.
Medical Evaluation
Once you have spoken with our team we’ll let you know how we can help. Typically the next step is to obtain your medical records for us to review.
Legal Letter
Once all your medical records have been received they will be reviewed by a medically & legally qualified member of our team. If there is evidence of negligence we will send a letter of claim to the negligent party outlining your compensation claim.
How much can you claim in compensation for a cancer misdiagnosis?
You can claim amounts from more than £10,000 to figures in excess of £1 million for a cancer misdiagnosis.
The misdiagnosis of cancer leads to delays in treatment for the cancer and years of unnecessary treatment for fibromyalgia and other conditions.
Common claims in compensation for a cancer misdiagnosis are:
In all cases, amounts awarded differ from patient to patient and even differ with each type of cancer.
Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will outline your case and explain what you are compensated for in a cancer misdiagnosis claim.
What are you compensated for in a cancer misdiagnosis claim?
You are compensated for any damages you suffer in a cancer misdiagnosis claim.
There are two types of compensation damages due when suing for any type of medical negligence: General damages and Special damages.
General damages
General damages are when you sue for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity, PSLA, you have experienced due to negligence.
Pain is that above what is normally expected for your procedure.
Suffering is the inconvenience and changes to your life that cause you discomfort.
Loss of Amenity is any difficulty you have in doing everyday tasks, such as walking, sitting and sleeping.
Special damages
Special damages include loss of earnings, future care costs, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Loss of earnings includes compensation for time off work and any reduction of your income in the future.
Future care costs are for any care you will need as a result of the medical negligence.
Out-of-pocket expenses cover medical appointments, travel, accommodation and meals.
Be sure to keep payslips, receipts and proof of any losses you experience due to the medical negligence.
You deserve compensation to cover all losses, including loss of life, medical costs, and long-term care needs.
When you or a loved one suffers from the effects of cancer misdiagnosis, you make a claim for cancer misdiagnosis negligence compensation.
Your No Win No Fee solicitor will guide you through the steps in making a cancer misdiagnosis claim.
What are the steps involved in making a cancer misdiagnosis claim?
The steps involved in making a cancer misdiagnosis claim go from seeking medical advice to issuing court proceedings.
The steps are a part of any successful compensation case, and settlement can happen at any stage in the process.
Your medical negligence solicitor will do the rest when you follow the steps correctly and gather all the facts and figures.
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor
Using a No Win No Fee solicitor is the only way to a successful cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim. Your No Win No Fee medical negligence solicitor will not charge you for a claim you do not win.
Always have a fee agreement in place before engaging a medical negligence solicitor. If they start talking of a ‘win fee’ or a ‘success fee,’ you should walk away. The negligent party insurers should pay all fees.
The medical negligence solicitor should also operate a 100% Compensation Guarantee scheme. When you win the case, all the money awarded should go to you, not the solicitor.
You are the one who suffered the cancer misdiagnosis, and you deserve the compensation to get your life back to normal.
How long do I have to make a claim for cancer misdiagnosis?
You have three years to make a claim for cancer misdiagnosis. All medical negligence claims are subject to limitation periods.
For example, in England and Wales, medical negligence claims must generally be brought and court proceedings issued within three years of the injury or three years of knowledge of the facts giving rise to the cancer misdiagnosis claim.
If someone has passed away, it is the date of death if the limitation period has not expired at the date of death.
Children not under a disability typically have until they reach 21 to start a cancer misdiagnosis claim or court proceedings.
Persons with a disability, who lack capacity, are not subject to any limitation period.
Can I make a medical negligence claim against the NHS?
Yes, you can make a medical negligence claim against the NHS. Suing the NHS for negligence is not unusual. People sue the NHS for compensation for medical negligence and receive the money they deserve for the negligent treatment.
There are between 8,000 and 10,000 successful medical negligence claims against the NHS each year—amounts in compensation claims awarded against the NHS range from £1000 to over £10 million.
The amount of compensation you receive covers minor injuries such as scarring to serious life-threatening negligence, which leaves you with long-term care needs.
We trust in and use the NHS daily and do not expect negligence. It happens, though, and the NHS has a dedicated team to handle medical negligence compensation claims, called NHS resolution.
NHS Resolution has a responsibility to treat patients who seek compensation fairly. Patients pay for the NHS through their taxes, and for that they deserve respect and the best medical treatment.
Contact The Medical Negligence Team
Contact the Medical Negligence Team today to discuss your cancer misdiagnosis claim for compensation. We have both the legal and medical experts to guide you along the steps to a successful medical negligence claim for compensation.
At the Medical Negligence Team, we fight every compensation claim on a No Win No Fee basis. You will not be out of pocket for an unsuccessful claim.
We have a very high success rate and a reputation for a speedy and successful resolution to all medical negligence cases.
Our 100% Compensation Guarantee puts all the money you win into your pocket. You or your loved one suffered cancer misdiagnosis and deserve every penny of the compensation claim.
Contact us at the Medical Negligence Team for all your medical negligence needs.
