Delayed cancer diagnosis led to man losing years of life

Amanda Cavanagh, a medical negligence specialist at Ashtons Legal, has obtained a five-figure settlement for Mr B, a man who suffered a loss of life expectancy due to a delay in the diagnosis of lung cancer.

Mr B had been experiencing shortness of breath and attended a Cambridgeshire hospital to undergo a chest x-ray. A locum consultant radiologist working at the hospital reported the x-ray as normal, despite it showing that Mr B had a suspicious mass lesion in one of his lungs.

Mr B’s symptoms continued to persist and seven months later he underwent another chest x-ray. The mass lesion was identified and, following an urgent CT scan, he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

In the seven months between the two scans Mr B’s cancer had developed to the point that it was impossible for it to be removed surgically. He instead had to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy before a decision was finally made to stop all active treatments.

As a result of the delay in diagnosing his cancer, Mr B sadly suffered a loss of life expectancy of an estimated two years and nine months.

Amanda comments: “This very sad story demonstrates the absolute need for accurate reporting of imagery in whatever form. Had my client been diagnosed earlier other treatment options would have been available, the prognosis would have been much better and he and his family would have had a few more years together.” 

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