Recently Had A Mammogram? You May Want To Get A Second Opinion

After you go in for your next mammogram, you may want to get a second opinion. Diagnosing breast cancer can be difficult, and your physician may not have the skill to do so correctly. Research by the American Medical Association shows that the number of diagnostic errors is growing and that such diagnosis results in as many as 80,000 deaths each year.

A recent article in the New York Times detailed how breast cancer diagnoses are extremely prone to physician error. Clusters of malignant cells within the breast tissue are often easily overlooked by pathologists and radiologists, delaying the patient's ability to receive treatment and in some cases, irreparably damaging their chances of a health recovery.Additionally, physicians sometimes wrongfully diagnose patients with having cancer. These patients then go through unnecessary costly, painful, and traumatic treatments, and the emotional trauma of believing that they have a life-threatening disease.

Thankfully, the federal government is now backing a nationwide study concerning variations in breast pathology to determine how widespread misdiagnosis of breast cancer is. Currently there aren't any mandated diagnostic standard. This means getting an accurate diagnosis varies from physician to physician, and you should choose yours carefully. You should also make sure that your doctor records any family history of breast cancer, and make sure that you go for a mammogram right away if instructed. If you are experiencing unusual pain or find any usual lump or mass, go see your physician right away. If your physician does not recommend a mammogram, get a second opinion or insist on getting a mammogram. While you may not have control over the skill of your doctor, you do have control over whether you accept their opinion with no questions asked.

Furthermore, if you or a loved one was not diagnosed properly, you are not without options. Call an attorney right away to find out the legal options available to you. You may be entitled to medical expenses and monetary damages for the pain you or a loved one experienced.