Lawsuits for Failures in Diagnosis of Skin Cancer
Frequently, moles are discovered by the person or a family member, perhaps the spouse. If unusual or questionable in appearance, they are brought to the attention of your doctor.
Most moles are harmless or noncancerous. According to the National Cancer Institute, moles are usually a benign growth on the skin that is formed by a cluster of cells that are from a melanin substance. Melanin gives color to the eyes and skin. A mole is usually dark and may be raised from the skin.
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Then there are the atypical moles.
To diagnose or rule out melanoma, a doctor should take a complete medical history and ask the patient about his or her history of sun exposure, history of normal and abnormal moles, and family history of skin conditions. The doctor should perform a skin examination and check for enlarged lymph nodes, which can indicate cancer has spread.
If the doctor believes there is cause for concern about a particular mole or patch of skin, he or she will perform a biopsy, where all or part of the growth is surgically removed. This is usually performed in the doctor's office using a local anesthetic. The skin that is removed is examined under a microscope by a pathologist to determine if any cancer is present.
There are different ways to do a biopsy, depending on the size and location of the suspected area. According to American Melanoma Foundation, here are some methods:
Punch Biopsy: The doctor uses a special tool that rotates and cuts through layers of the skin to take a small sample.
Incisional and Excisional Biopsies: These biopsies remove a deeper skin sample, using a surgical knife to cut through the full thickness of skin. Incisional biopsies remove only a portion of the tumor while excisional biopsies remove the entire tumor and are usually preferred when melanoma is suspected.
Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy: Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) biopsies use a thin needle to remove a very small tissue sample from a tumor. This test is not used on a suspected melanoma, but on a large lymph node near a melanoma to find if the melanoma has spread or metastasized. A CAT scan is sometimes used to guide the needle into a tumor in an internal organ when the doctor suspects that melanoma has spread to that organ.
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy: This is a procedure that helps determine if cancer has spread by locating which lymph node or nodes are draining the tumor area. These nodes are then removed and examined under a microscope to see if they have trapped any melanoma cells. The presence of melanoma cells in the lookout sentinel lymph node automatically classifies a melanoma as stage III.
Microscopic Examination: Skin tissue samples are sent to a pathologist for examination under a microscope. The results of these confirm the presence or absence of melanoma.
If cancer is found to be present in a mole or patch of skin, the doctor may perform additional diagnostic tests, including blood tests, a chest x-ray, or other diagnostic imaging tests such as MRI and CT. Information from these tests will help the doctor determine the stage or extent of the disease and select the appropriate treatment. Melanoma is staged on a scale of 1 to 4, with stage 1 indicating a thin less severe melanoma and stage 4 indicating an advanced cancer, which has spread to other parts of the body.
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If your loved one has died because of medical negligence caused by failure to diagnose malignant melanoma, your family may be eligible for a lawsuit. You can never bring your loved one back but you can be awarded restitution.
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