Innovative ways to identify and treat rare cancers
Perhaps you have a rare condition that was misdiagnosed the first time around. It could be that you experienced a harmful delay in getting the correct diagnosis. Whatever the case may be, you should know that diagnostic errors are one of the leading causes of malpractice claims in and outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Things are even tougher when the condition in question is a rare cancer. There's the misdiagnoses to contend with as well as the lack of specialists who can provide the right treatments. Patients wind up feeling isolated and suffering not just physically but also emotionally.
Lack of data, lack of specialists
The majority of data on rare cancers comes from individual case reports rather than controlled clinical trials. It's understandable, then, that there are fewer experts to focus on these conditions. However, some innovative ways of treating rare tumors are being developed.
Some of those innovative methods
First of all, most cancers are treated based on their point of origin in the body. Some specialists, though, are basing their treatments on
genetic mutations. For instance, they may use certain immunotherapy drugs to treat cancers with a mismatch repair deficiency, where damaged tumor DNA has trouble repairing itself. This mutation can be found in well-known cancers like breast and colorectal cancer as well as obscure ones like rhabdomyosarcoma.
Patient registries help, too. By allowing patients to report their own observations, doctors can analyze large groups of patients with similar conditions without having to meet the strict standards for a clinical trial. The rise of many small biotechnology companies can be facilitated by focusing on these rare diseases and developing niche drugs, so there's a lot of incentive to fulfilling this need.
A lawyer for severe malpractice cases
While these innovative methods may benefit people in the future, you yourself have suffered serious, irreparable harm already. To see how much you might be eligible for in
compensatory damages, you may consult a medical malpractice attorney. The attorney may negotiate for the highest possible settlement, taking the case to court if all else fails.