Ovarian cancer originates in one or both of the ovaries. The ovaries make eggs, estrogen, and progesterone. If your ovarian cancer worsened or a loved one died due to a health care provider’s failure to diagnose or treat it properly, you should discuss your case with the seasoned Upstate New York ovarian cancer lawyers at DeFrancisco & Falgiatano. Medical malpractice lawsuits can be complicated procedurally, and it can be challenging to present technical information about cancer diagnosis and treatment to a jury. We have the knowledge and experience to help people harmed by medical malpractice related to ovarian cancer.
Ovarian CancerThe type of ovarian cancer that you develop is determined by the cells in which the cancer starts. For instance, epithelial tumors, the most common ovarian cancer, start in the tissue that covers the ovaries. Stromal tumors start in ovarian tissue. Germ cell tumors are rare and start in egg-producing cells. In its early stages, ovarian cancer often does not cause symptoms. However, as it progresses, it may show up as weight loss, fatigue, back pain, pain during sex, upset stomach, pelvic discomfort, abdominal bloating, abdominal swelling, rapidly feeling full when consuming meals, constipation, and frequent urination. Factors that could increase your risk of ovarian cancer include a family history of ovarian cancer, older age, inherited gene mutation, estrogen hormone replacement therapy, and age when menstruation started or ended.
LiabilityYou will need to establish liability to recover damages for your health care provider’s failure to diagnose or properly treat your ovarian cancer. This means that an ovarian cancer attorney in Upstate New York will need to show that it is more likely than not that you were owed a professional standard of care, the defendant departed from the standard, his or her departure caused your injuries, and damages resulted. We will need to retain an expert to opine on what the professional standard of care was and whether the defendant departed from the standard in your case, as well as whether the departure is what caused your injuries. New York follows the locality rule; a health care provider’s professional standard of care depends on what other health care providers in the same specialty and the same geographic area would have done when faced with the same or similar circumstances.
Medical malpractice in connection with ovarian cancer can happen in various ways. It can be a result of a mistake in diagnosis. However, it can also be a result of a treatment error, such as a mistake made during surgery or during chemotherapy. For instance, sometimes surgery is appropriate; the surgeon may remove the uterus, both fallopian tubes, both ovaries, and fatty tissue from the upper abdomen, along with as much of the tumor as feasible. If the surgeon made an error during this surgery that resulted in your developing sepsis, you can retain an Upstate New York ovarian cancer attorney to bring a medical malpractice claim.
DamagesGenerally, ovarian cancer is treated with systemic therapies that are taken orally or injected directly into the bloodstream. Chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy may be used to treat ovarian cancer. If you were harmed by a health care provider failing to catch or properly treat ovarian cancer, your medical costs and emotional well-being may have been seriously affected, and you may have lost income. Damages that you may be able to recover include economic and non-economic losses. They can include medical expenses, loss of income, loss of earning capacity, loss of consortium, and pain and suffering.
Retain Seasoned Counsel for Your Medical Malpractice LawsuitIf you were harmed because of an Upstate New York doctor’s failure to diagnose or treat your ovarian cancer, you should discuss what happened with a medical malpractice attorney. These lawsuits are complex and difficult to pursue. The seasoned attorneys at DeFrancisco & Falgiatano may be able to represent you. We represent injured cancer patients in Syracuse, Rochester, Ithaca, Utica, Lyons, Oswego, Cooperstown, Oneida, Auburn, Binghamton, Wampsville, Canandaigua, Watertown, Elmira, Herkimer, and Lowville. Call our firm at 833-200-2000 or complete our online form to discuss your case with an ovarian cancer lawyer in Upstate New York.