My mother in law was diagnose with breast cancer 3 years ago. She had a masectomy done, and did chemo therapy. After that she was cancer free. However when she went to follow up with her Oncologist all he did was just routine blood work. He never did any biopsy's or pet scans to make sure she was cancer free through out the years. Now July 2007 she's been diagnose with Stage 4 cancer & its now metastasize throughout her body.
So do u guys think we might have a case of negligence? Anyone know of a good attorney in Arizona?
Thanks for ur help :)
2007-09-10 12:16:56 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Cancer
I'm really sorry about your mother-in-law. That is sad. I think the blood work the oncologist did was probably tumor markers. He wouldn't do a biopsy unless she had a Ct scan or pet scan that identified a tumor. There was not CT scans and bone scans each year? I had them for five years. I'm now at 7 years and my cancer is a stage 4. I wonder about the insurance too. I changed to an HMO which was very lax in following through on issues. I wish you lots of luck.
2007-09-10 12:39:49 · answer #1 · answered by Simmi 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
So many posibles, and so much wisdom with hindsight!
I was diagnosed at about the same time as your MIL.
I had lumpectomy followed by radiation and chemo.
After my treatments finished, I had another scan done to confirm no spread.
Since than I have been going to oncologist for regular 3 monthly check-ups which have now been changed to 4 monthly.
I have blood tests done before each check up.
I have mammogram and ultrasound done every 12 months.
I have also been on oral medications as my cancer was hormone receptive.
I have been advised that I will have scans done every 5 years.
I was also advised to keep up my monthly self examinations and if I discovered anything even slightly suspicious to ring my oncologist for an emergency appointment that day!
This treatment plan was fully explained to me by my oncologist.
Biopsies are only done if there is something to biopsy.
If and when cancer metastasizes it can spread and grow rapidly.
Dependant on the type of breast cancer, the treatment plan your MIL was given may have been totally appropriate.
Sadly, things like this can just happen.
2007-09-11 00:59:56 · answer #2 · answered by Tarkarri 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cancer is a deceptive disease. There is no cure for breast cancer, there is only treatment that will lead to a remission. There was never any guarantee that your Mother in Law was cancer free . . she was in remission. Cancer has the ability to metastasize and send microscopic cells throughout the body. These tiny cells can than lodge anywhere and stay dormant for an undetermined amount of time. This is what happened with your mother in law . . no one knows if it is truly gone or not . . and sometimes it will sit for years and than suddenly reappear and grow very rapidly. This is one of the reasons that cancer is so deadly. There isn't a cure.
I am sorry that this has happened to your mother in law. I do not know her circumstances or if she was having any three or six month check ups. Her doctor would not have done any biopsies but he may have been checking her blood cancer markers which is probably standard for this disease. Cancer is deceptive . . it can grow in as little as 30 days and be stage IV very rapidly.
I know that you are all angry about what you think happened. People often try to blame the doctors for the disease progression, but the truth is that no one has a crystal ball and no one knows if the cancer is gone for good or just sitting waiting to reoccur.
Be angry at the cancer. It is completely deceptive and until the advanced state is most often asymptomatic . . there is no guarantee that even with a CT, PET, or MRI or even blood work that cancer can be detected early . . unfortunately for all of us.
Best to you.
2007-09-10 20:50:36 · answer #3 · answered by Panda 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
deeply sorry about your mother in-law
I'm not an oncologist ,but she should've done mammography at least every 3-6 months after surgery ,then at least yearly (adjusted by the oncologist) ,if she didn't do them ,then something went wrong with the follow up process ,i can not judge the situation but i think you should seek a lawyers advice ..
NB:biopsy is not a routine procedure to be done in follow ups
2007-09-10 20:09:05 · answer #4 · answered by h_emails 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
unfortunately post mactectomy, there is nothing left to mammogram
I am very sorry
2007-09-11 06:36:21 · answer #5 · answered by HockeyGirl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋