Is my doctor responsible for not diagnosing my pancreatic cancer earlier?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and is the fourth most common form of cancer death in both men and women.  The average life expectancy for someone with pancreatic cancer is three to six months after diagnosis, while only 19 percent may survive a year.  One reason that pancreatic cancer isn’t diagnosed right away is because of its hidden location behind the stomach and buried in a loop of the small intestines.  The cancer has to nearly grow outside the pancreas in order to cause any symptoms.  Typical symptoms may include:

• Weight loss
• Abdominal or back pain
• Prolonged and unexplained fatigue
• Feeling nauseous for a continued period of time
• Glucose intolerance which shows up as excessive hunger or thirst
• Jaundice where the skin and whites of the eyes become yellow as a result of improper function of the bile ducts

Quite often the only time pancreatic cancer is caught early is if some other problem is being evaluated and the patient gets a CAT scan, which shows a mass in the pancreas.  Typical forms of treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  If you feel that your doctor did not diagnose your condition in a timely manner, you should consult a medical malpractice attorney for legal advice.

Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer for advice regarding the treatment of your doctor and legal issues of liability and negligence.