When caught early, lung cancer can often be successfully treated. Sometimes radiologists miss significant findings on chest imaging; sometimes clinicians misinterpret the patients signs for something else entirely. Sometimes it is a combination of factors: but most negligence cases need radiographic evidence to be viable. When the radiologist does misread the imaging, he or she has effectively ruled out lung cancer pathology for the clinician. As with any cancer, early identification is key to treating lung cancer.

Typical signs, but not obvious signs, of lung cancer may include a persistent cough, chest pain on breathing, shortness of breath, or tiredness. Unfortunately, by the time some of these symptoms present, the cancer has progressed significantly and may have already metastasized. Within this window to timely identify the cancer, a provider may instead tumble to a diagnosis of pneumonia, asthma, stress, or even an anxiety attack. But, frankly, far more often than not the key to finding negligence in a lung cancer case depends on the imaging. First, the clinician has to order the appropriate imaging. A radiologist may review a scan and conclude the imaging shows no abnormality, or, say something benign. An X-ray may be ok for the circumstances, but a CT is more likely to reveal lung cancer lesions. So with the right tools, the radiologist will have more at her disposal to spot the early lesions. Even if only an X-ray is ordered, and the radiologist identifies the lesion, it is incumbent upon her to call it out and to indicate the need for further imaging. Then, the clinician must follow through on the radiologist’s recommendation. It is galling to see such a recommendation get included in the imaging report that is then overlooked or simply ignored by the doctor actually examining the patient.

A client may contact our office after having been recently diagnosed with late stage lung cancer. In order to evaluate the case, we must review all records for medical visits for approximately the prior five years to see what symptoms were overlooked and if a radiologist missed significant findings.

Finally, what does “successfully treated” mean? Even if lung cancer is caught early the treatment begins with surgical removal of that portion of the lung. If the surgery is done before metastatic spread, then most patients can return to largely normal lives.