Prompt Diagnosis Is Critical For Cancers With High Survival Rates
While there is still no absolute cure for cancer, advancements in medicine and innovative technology have made it possible for individuals to enjoy positive patient outcomes and survival rates. The National Cancer Institute reports that there were almost 17 million cancer survivors living in the US in 2019, and that number is projected to reach more than 22 million by 2030. The most commonly diagnosed forms include cancers affecting the breast, lungs, prostate, colon, skin, bladder, and others.
However, some types of cancer are more amenable to treatment than others. Fortunately, with early detection, many patients have a positive outlook. Thus, Florida health care providers must be diligent in issuing a timely, accurate diagnosis, so the individual can get on board with a cancer care regimen. Failures can be tragic, enabling the cancer to metastasize and become terminal. You should consult with a Tampa cancer misdiagnosis attorney about your options in such a situation. Some details about the most treatable cancers are also useful.
Understanding Cancer Survival Rates
When medical professionals evaluate how treatable a cancer is, they use an index called a “five-year survival rate.” From the term, you can guess that this figure refers to the percentage of patients who are alive for at least five years after being diagnosed with cancer. Even if the person still bears traces of cancer and/or is still being treated, the rate focuses on survival.
The cancers with higher survival rates include:
- Prostate and breast cancer, both of which have a survival rate around 99 percent;
- Thyroid cancer, with a rate ranging from 98 to 100 percent;
- Melanoma, at 92 to 97 percent survival;
- Cervical cancer, in which 93 percent of patients are alive after five years; and,
- Hodgkin lymphoma, at a 90 percent survival rate.
Timely Diagnosis is Critical
The survival rates for cancer are a product of many factors, such as the type, available treatment, age and physical condition of the patient, whether the patient altered lifestyle in the presence of risk factors, and many others. However, proper, prompt diagnosis plays a central role. For one, an early diagnosis opens the door to more treatment options as compared to late-stage cancer. Surgery may clear a tumor before cancerous cells spread, while chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy can also be effective.
When health care providers fail to provide an accurate diagnosis, these treatment options may slip away. Worse, more invasive, aggressive, and harmful treatments become the only alternatives. The patient loses precious time while not getting essential care, and the cancer starts to affect the body outside its point of origin. In some cases, the disease becomes terminal because of diagnosis errors.
A Hillsborough County Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer Will Assist with Legal Remedies
The failure to diagnose cancer may constitute medical malpractice, for which you have legal options under Florida law. For more information about your remedies, please contact Greco & Wozniak P.A. You can schedule a no-cost case review with a member of our team by calling our Tampa, FL offices at 813.223.7849 or visiting our website.
Source:
cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics
