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Breast cancer is a common form of cancer that primarily impacts women but can also be found in men. It forms in the breast tissue and the surrounding structures, such as the ducts and lobules. Breast cancer can be very serious and kills many women each year in the United States.
Annual screening tests, including mammograms and ultrasounds for those with denser breast tissue, help check for breast cancer If a lump is found or even suspected, your doctor, OB-GYN, or healthcare provider should conduct further tests. If your doctor fails to properly diagnose your breast cancer, you may be eligible for benefits and financial compensation under Delaware medical malpractice law.
Breast Cancer Symptoms in Women
Breast cancer can present with a number of symptoms in women, including:
- Thickening or swelling in one area of the breast
- New lump in the breast or under your arm
- Change in shape or size of the breast
- Flaky or red skin in any area of the breast
- Irritation of the breast
- Pain in the nipple area
- Pulling in of the nipple
- Pain in any area of the breast
- Nipple discharge other than milk
Not every woman who has breast cancer will have all of these symptoms, and some of these can point to other medical issues that aren’t necessarily cancer. In some instances, you may not have any symptoms at all.
Breast Cancer Symptoms During Pregnancy
It can be much more difficult to recognize breast cancer if you’re pregnant. It’s common for the hormone fluctuations involved in gestation to cause changes to your breasts. You may experience soreness and nipple sensitivity, as well as changes in breast size, which are normal. In that confusion and the stress over the baby’s health, you may not notice other symptoms of breast cancer or could assume they’re part of the pregnancy.
If you find lumps, it’s always best to play it safe and have them assessed. If you experience pain, any type of discharge other than milk, or you notice the breast feels very hard or warm to the touch, schedule an appointment with your doctor immediately.
Breast Cancer Symptoms While Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can irritate the nipples and cause discomfort, so spotting anything that could point to a breast cancer diagnosis can be even more complicated. Some of the symptoms to watch for include:
- Breast pain that doesn’t fade
- Rash or itchiness on the nipple
- Swollen breast
- Very warm breast
- Change in shape, size, or appearance of the breast
- Darkening of the breast
- Bleeding or any discharge other than milk
Lumps are very common in women who are breastfeeding. They could be benign and might fade on their own, or they could point toward other issues, like mastitis. Always get any of these symptoms assessed.
Breast Cancer Symptoms in Men
Although it is rarer than the disease in women, male breast cancer does occur. It can involve symptoms such as:
- Thicker breast skin
- Painless lump in the breast
- Discharge or bleeding from the nipples
- Nipple that turns inward
- Changes in nipple color
- Changes to chest skin, like dimpling or scaling
Because male breast cancer is rare, most men don’t perform self-checks like women do, so changes in the look of the chest tend to be the most easily spotted symptoms.
Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Statistics
A cancer misdiagnosis occurs when your doctor determines that you don’t have the condition, but something else instead, and therefore, provides the wrong treatment or no treatment at all. In some cases, you may have a benign lump, for example, and end up with a cancer diagnosis that leads you to receive treatments you don’t need. All of these issues can impact your life and health.
In outpatient settings, meaning that the diagnosis occurs outside of a hospital, the rate of misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of all types is around 5%. The overdiagnosis rate of breast cancer is between 10% and 40%.
How Do Doctors Check for Breast Cancer?
When you go to your doctor for an annual exam or with a concern about breast issues, they will first conduct a physical examination. They carefully check the breast for lumps, thickening skin, discharge, and any other changes. Additionally, they look for any lymph node involvement by feeling whether there’s swelling under the armpit.
The next step may be to order imaging tests. Mammograms use X-rays that can detect even the smallest of cancers. These are done by placing the affected breast between two plates, which press it down and spread the tissue out. The technician takes photos of the X-rays at various angles that doctors can use to identify masses.
There are also ultrasound tests. These rely on sound waves to build an image of the breast. Ultrasounds can let a doctor know if a mass is solid or filled with fluid, for example.
An MRI is also helpful, especially for women who have dense breast tissue or who have a high risk of breast cancer. If there are any anomalies in any of these imaging exams, the next procedure is a biopsy.
Biopsies remove a sample of breast tissue so that it can be examined under a microscope. Your doctor may also do additional tests if they suspect that cancer is present. These include blood tests, which will show any abnormalities, such as proteins, that can point to cancer.
CT scans are also a diagnostic option. These scans can show if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, which would mean more advanced stage levels. If the cancer is advanced, your doctor may order a bone scan to see if it has spread to the bones.
Lymph node biopsies can further show if the cancer has moved beyond the primary location.
Types of Breast Cancer Not Detected by Mammograms
Although mammograms are excellent diagnostic tools, they can fail to spot some forms of breast cancer, including inflammatory breast cancer. That’s because this form of the disease doesn’t cause lumps or many of the most common symptoms.
Instead, you can experience issues such as:
- Swollen lymph nodes under the arm and above the collarbone
- Red, swollen, and itchy breast
- Significant size differences between breasts
- Sore breast
- Inverted nipple
- Ridged appearance to the breast
This type of breast cancer is one of the most easily misdiagnosed because of the lack of very obvious symptoms. Another one that could also be missed by mammograms, however, is invasive lobular carcinoma. This is the second most common type of breast cancer, but because it can cause dense breast tissue, it can be hard to see.
If dense breast tissue is observed, doctors who suspect cancer may be present should also order ultrasounds. Ultrasounds can detect different things from mammograms, regardless of the density of tissue.
Can Breast Cancer Be Misdiagnosed?
Breast cancer can be misdiagnosed, especially in the early stages, as there could be other conditions that prompt the same symptoms. If your doctor isn’t thorough and doesn’t order tests to rule out serious illnesses, you may not realize that you have breast cancer until the symptoms get worse.
Breast Cancer Misdiagnosed as Fat Necrosis
A fat necrosis is a benign growth in the breast characterized by a hard and round lump. These develop if any fatty area of the breast gets damaged. Because both breast cancer and fat necrosis can result in a hard lump and can be accompanied by a reddening of the skin around it, breast cancer might be misdiagnosed as fat necrosis.
Breast Cancer Misdiagnosed as Cyst
Cysts are small pockets of tissue that are often filled with pus or fluid. They can feel similar to cancer lumps, so if a doctor doesn’t conduct imaging studies, they won’t be able to tell if it’s cancer or not. Breast cancer can be misdiagnosed as a cyst and vice versa.
Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney: FAQs
Who Checks for Breast Cancer?
A number of professionals can check for breast cancer and guide you to getting a diagnosis. Breast surgeons, including plastic surgeons, can do so, as can radiologists. These are professionals who specialize in performing diagnostic tests such as mammograms.
Oncologists will also check for breast cancer, as well as radiation oncologists, who treat cancer with radiation.
Is Breast Cancer Detected in Blood Work?
Blood work can point to abnormalities that prompt further tests, but it can’t diagnose breast cancer on its own. Typically, there is no single test that can be performed and unequivocally diagnose breast cancer. Even mammograms, which are the most accurate exams, will require a further biopsy or an ultrasound.
How Can a Lawyer Help With My Breast Cancer Case?
Medical malpractice cases are some of the most complex personal injury claims you can pursue. You can rely on our cancer misdiagnosis attorneys to help investigate the misdiagnosis and speak with medical professionals.
One of the first things that you need to do before beginning your cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit is to get an affidavit of merit from a doctor in the relevant field who states that you have a valid case. Most people don’t know where to begin getting these affidavits, which is why our lawyers are there to do this for you.
We can negotiate with insurance companies to get you a fair settlement too. We’ll calculate the damages you deserve (both economic and non-economic) and fight to help you recover your losses. In some cases, it may even be necessary to go to court, which you should only do if you have experienced legal counsel.
Let a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney at Shelsby & Leoni Help You
If your breast cancer was misdiagnosed, we recommend you speak with a breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyer at Shelsby & Leoni P.A. about filing a breast cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit. You may be entitled to medical benefits and financial compensation for your injuries. Contact us today to get started.
