Early detection of cancer is vital to a patient’s chances of survival.  Both patients and physicians should be diligent in watching for signs and symptoms of  breast cancer, colon cancer, brain cancer,  ovarian cancer and melanoma.

Screening tests like colonoscopies are important tools in diagnosing cancer. Physicians should recognize the importance of such tests and offer them to at-risk patients.

Recently the lawyers at Morrow Kidman Tinker have handled cases involving failure to diagnose hereditary cancer. Approximately 5-10% of all cancers are hereditary. Hereditary cancers present a special challenge to physicians and patients alike. Certain “hallmarks” in a patient’s family history can put the patient at very high risk for hereditary cancers like colon cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. Those patients should be very closely monitored and  offered prophylactic surgical procedures to avoid a missed or wrong diagnosis.