Pathology and Lab Errors: What Happens When the Biopsy Is Wrong

A “not quite right” feeling or even a visible sign or development on your body can lead you to seek out the opinion of your doctor. Looking into a health concern is a reasonable step to take rather than worrying yourself into a state of anxiety. The result of a doctor’s examination could be an everyday illness, a more severe condition, or nothing at all. However, you can never know unless you seek medical attention.

Your expectation in that moment of seeking medical care is that the healthcare provider will be able to tell you, accurately, what is wrong. Doctors are like private investigators; they use clues and other information to analyze a particular situation. From there, they can make a diagnosis of the condition that you are suffering from. This is done by questioning you, gathering your family’s medical history, and performing a physical examination.

From a seemingly never-ending list of possible diagnoses, a doctor will hopefully be able to eliminate most conditions from consideration and focus on a few diagnoses that are more likely based on your circumstances. One tool a physician may use to make this determination is a biopsy. A biopsy can help a doctor better understand what is impacting you if that condition involves a muscle, skin, or other human tissue.

Making an incorrect diagnosis using a biopsy

Most people are familiar with biopsies involving a possible cancer diagnosis. However, biopsies can help physicians diagnose a range of conditions that are unrelated to cancer. A biopsy can be taken of your bodily tissue, and the sample is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Laboratory employees can administer tests on the biopsy sample to determine if you have a certain condition or disease. This is usually where a patient first becomes familiar with a specific diagnosis. In some cases, time is of the essence. The sooner a diagnosis can be made, the faster treatment can be administered, and the likelihood of a positive outcome can be greatly increased.

Mistakes surrounding a biopsy- delays in ordering a biopsy or even the failure to order one in the first place can create overwhelmingly negative results for a patient. On top of that, misdiagnoses may cause a physician to order ineffective or even harmful treatment for a patient based on the false belief that he or she suffers from a condition that the person does not even have.

What does it mean to suffer a delay in the ordering of a biopsy?

Biopsies are helpful and, in some cases, necessary tools to help a physician confirm a certain diagnosis. Unfortunately, there is a non-zero chance that a misdiagnosis can result from a biopsy sample. The harm that can be suffered from a biopsy error or misdiagnosis has the potential to be just as harmful in many ways as the condition being tested for.

There is a risk that a delayed biopsy or reading of the biopsy results can lead to preventable harm. Depending upon the condition suspected of impacting a patient, a doctor must be able to quickly order a biopsy and then consult with the patient on a treatment plan once a diagnosis is made.

Healthcare professionals must maintain a certain standard of care when treating a patient. When a doctor or other healthcare professional’s care for a patient falls below that standard, it can be said that the treating provider acted negligently. Prolonged medical treatment, loss of functionality in a limb, or other chronic medical conditions may result from an error made regarding a biopsy.

Cancer misdiagnoses related to biopsy errors

Biopsy errors are notable in relation to cancer misdiagnosis. There are two ways in which cancer tends to be misdiagnosed. The first example is when a healthcare professional misidentifies healthy tissue cells with cancerous cells. What happens next is often a misdiagnosis of cancer. While it is distressing for a patient to be incorrectly diagnosed with cancer, there are typically no long-term impacts from this error.

However, a medical professional, like a physician or pathologist can fail to make a proper cancer diagnosis due to a mistake in interpreting a biopsy. The potential impacts of a missed diagnosis can be catastrophic. The earlier a cancer diagnosis can be made, the better the outcomes tend to be for patients. When a cancer diagnosis is not made or is made too late, patients can lose precious time to treat their cancer. Given extra time, cancer has a tendency to spread throughout the body.

In short, the treatment available for a patient with cancer or many other serious medical conditions depends upon an early and accurate medical diagnosis. Biopsies frequently play a central role in this process. The information available to physicians and other healthcare professionals via a biopsy can be the key to unlocking all possible treatment options. The survival of a patient and their quality of life during treatment depend, in large part, on making correct diagnoses using a biopsy sample.

When a biopsy is wrong, seek representation to help make things right.

The experienced Fort Lauderdale medical malpractice attorneys with Liberman, Cabrera, Thompson & Reitman understand that when a loved one’s life is at stake, the utmost in care must be taken. Unfortunately, when errors occur in diagnosing a medical condition, the consequences can be life-altering.

Protect yourself and defend your rights by contacting Liberman, Cabrera, Thompson & Reitman today if a misdiagnosis has occurred related to a biopsy error. Our team of experienced legal professionals understands the gravity of the situation and works methodically to address the wrongs that have occurred.

A free consultation is available by contacting our office. When time is of the essence, and the well-being of a loved one is at stake, our clients and their families depend upon Liberman, Cabrera, Thompson & Reitman for top-notch, professional legal representation.