Several studies have shown that the leading cause of death in the U.S. is slowly shifting from heart disease to cancer, particularly in wealthy counties. More than 600,000 Americans die from cancer each year, and millions of people in the U.S. are diagnosed with various types of cancer.
“There are an estimated more than 3,500 active oncologists in the U.S., who study, diagnose, and treat cancerous tumors in patients,” says our Philadelphia oncology malpractice attorney at The Weitz Firm, LLC. Oncology is divided into several subspecialties based on the type or location of cancer:
While oncologists in the U.S. boast an annual salary of more than $320,000, besides finishing medical school, it takes up to 3 years of residency in internal medicine and up to 2 years of residency or fellowship in oncology to be board certified in an oncology specialty.
Cancer care consists of various aspects, including but not limited to:
Unfortunately, like any other medical professional, an oncologist can make many mistakes when providing treatment or diagnosis to patients. These mistakes may amount to oncology malpractice, which is a form of medical malpractice. In order to determine whether or not your oncologist’s actions constitute medical malpractice, it is advised to speak to an experienced oncology malpractice attorney in Philadelphia.
To sue an oncologist for medical malpractice, you will have to show evidence that the oncologist breached his or her duty of care when performing surgery, providing treatment or diagnosis. The following oncology-related errors may amount to deviations from the accepted standard of care among oncologists:
As you may have guessed, proving that your oncologist is guilty of oncology malpractice can be tricky, because it requires you to prove that your injury was caused by the oncologist’s actions or lack of action rather than a result of the progression of cancer.
You may want to speak to our Philadelphia oncology malpractice lawyers at The Weitz Firm, LLC, to gather sufficient evidence about your condition and establish that you are entitled to compensation due to oncology malpractice. Schedule a free consultation by calling us.
We are highly selective in the cases we undertake to ensure that can give each client his full attention. You can schedule an appointment for a personal injury consultation at our Philadelphia office by calling us, or by filling out our online intake form.
