May rolls around each year and marks Skin Cancer Awareness Month, a crucial time to boost public understanding of the dangers of sun exposure and emphasize vital skin protection habits. Despite more widespread sunscreen use, the rates of melanoma (a particularly aggressive skin cancer) have risen alarmingly by nearly a third in the last ten years. Detecting melanoma at an early stage significantly improves the likelihood of successful treatment and survival.
Melanoma and medical negligence
At Enable Law we have a dedicated team supporting cancer patients and their relatives with their melanoma cancer claims and to understand if their prognosis and treatment options have been impacted by medical negligence. Through the years we have helped many people understand if and what went wrong with their melanoma care. Below we have summarised some of the main issues we have seen in melanoma cases.
Delay in diagnosis or misdiagnosis of melanoma
The most common theme that we see is a delay in diagnosis of melanoma or a misdiagnosis. One of the key indicators of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of a lesion or mole. Patients are advised to consult with their GP if they notice any changes. A GP will then review these changes and make a referral to a specialist dermatologist if needed. Changes in appearance include in symmetry, borders, colour or diameter of a mole, or the development of a new mole. Less obvious signs to monitor include a sore that doesn’t seem to be healing, abnormal bumps, or a developing mole that looks different from the other moles on one’s body (known as the “ugly duckling” moles). Any of these features should be investigated by a dermatologist to rule out abnormality but can sometimes be dismissed as being benign when they are malignant. This can result in misdiagnosis or a delay in referral for further investigation by a specialist.
Not all delays are caused by signs or symptoms being dismissed. Delays in diagnosis or treatment for skin cancer can arise from an incorrect referral pathway being followed or errors in electronic systems resulting in patients not being investigated under the care of a specialist.
Misinterpretation of test results
Another common cause of delays or misdiagnosis is the misinterpretation of test results. Sometimes an individual will be referred to a dermatologist for suspected skin cancer and a dermatologist will take a biopsy to further investigate a lesion. The results of the biopsy can be misinterpreted as being normal when the lesion is cancerous. This can result in a delay in treating cancer that would have otherwise been at an earlier stage resulting in a more aggressive treatment method being required. Sadly, in some cases, patients receive a terminal diagnosis if the cancer has progressed too far for treatment to be curative.
Not all misdiagnosis cases are linked to a cancer growth being mistaken as benign and the opposite can happen. Sometimes a patient is incorrectly told that they have skin cancer, resulting in them suffering significant anxiety, unnecessary treatment, the unpleasant side effects associated with treatment and scarring from excisions when they are healthy.
Delayed treatment of melanoma
The examples above result in delays in treatment, the need to undergo more aggressive treatment (than would have otherwise been required if the cancer had been diagnosed at an earlier point) and a poorer prognosis. Individuals can be reluctant to return to their GP to report concerns around moles when they have been reassured in the past. If you are worried about any signs or symptoms of skin cancer, it is vital that you seek medical attention to rule out the possibility of any abnormality.
How can we help?
If you have concerns about treatment that you or a family member has received, we can help you understand what may have happened and if appropriate, represent you to bring a claim. To have a free and confidential chat with a member of our specialist team, call us today on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so we can arrange a convenient time to call you.
