Liver Cancer Medical Negligence Solicitors - UK Compensation Claim Lawyers
One of the most common types of maligant tumour, liver cancer affects thousands of people annually. Unfortunately, this type of cancer has a high rate of mortality. It can be categorized as either primary or metastatic. Primary liver cancer begins in the liver, while metastatic liver cancer spreads to the liver from somewhere else in the body. While not all cases of liver cancer can be traced to a particular cause, some can be attributed to cancer somewhere else, to chronic infections, to alcoholism and to certain types of hepatitis. Liver cancer develops when liver cells mutate and change their DNA makeup. This may cause cells to grow at a rate that cannot be controlled, eventually leading to a mass of malignant cells known as a tumour. Late diagnosis or mis-diagnosis of liver cancer may be due to medical negligence and give rise to a personal injury compensation claim for damage and loss.
Primary and Metastatic
There are two types of liver cancer: metastatic and primary. Metastatic is caused by migration of cancer cells from elsewhere in the body, whereas primary liver cancer starts in the liver. Primary liver cancer can be further broken down based upon which of the cells become cancerous. These types include the following:
- Cholangiocarcinoma: This form of liver cancer starts in the small, tube like bile ducts of the liver. Sometimes this form is referred to as cancer of the bile ducts.
- Hemangiosarcoma or Angiosarcoma: These cancers are also rare, and begin in the liver�s blood vessels. This form grows and spreads rapidly.
- Hepatoblastoma: A more rare form of liver cancer, it affect children under the age of four. This form of cancer has a high success rate for treatment.
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): The most common form of primary liver cancer, it can occur in both adults and children. This cancer begins in the main liver cells known as hepatocytes.
Symptoms
There are no significant symptoms associated with liver cancer when it is in the earliest stages. As the disease progresses, the patient my show signs of ascites and jaundice that is associated with pain and various other symptoms. Late diagnosis or mis-diagnosis of liver cancer due to failure to recognise the symptoms may be due to medical negligence and give rise to a personal injury compensation claim for damage and loss.
Ascites
Ascites develops when there is a buildup of fluid that causes swelling in the abdomen. This may be due to cancer cells that are affecting the function of the liver, or from cancer cells that are clogging the lymphatic system, which is responsible for draining excess fluid.
Jaundice
Jaundice happens when the liver is not properly function and is not able to expel toxins from the body. Jaundice is noted by the whites of the eyes and the skin turning a yellow color, and it may also cause extreme itching. The condition also causes dark stools and urine.
Diagnosis
One of the major problems with liver cancer is that its symptoms are often confused with other less serious conditions. This can lead to a diagnosis which can deeply impact the success of treatment. Misdiagnosis of liver cancer is a form of medical negligence. A proper diagnosis should include the use of an abdominal CT scan and MRI, an ultrasound scan, a liver biopsy and a laparoscopy. While all of these tools are helpful to diagnosing the condition, they are fully dependent upon a human�s interpretation. This of course leaves room for error which may in some circumstances be considered as medical negligence. Late diagnosis or mis-diagnosis of liver cancer due to failure to recognise the symptoms may be due to medical negligence and give rise to a personal injury compensation claim for damage and loss.
Liver Cancer Medical Negligence Solicitors
If you have experienced a liver cancer misdiagnosis, you may be able to start a legal claim for compensation. Our team of skilled medical negligence solicitors specialise in medical negligence compensation claims and can help you throughout the entire process. Please contact our firm today to find out how we can assist you.
The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here