Cancer is far more treatable than it was in the past. Treatments are becoming more effective. Every day, there are new options being considered, and the odds of surviving the disease are higher than they’ve ever been.
That being said, cancer is still one of the top two killers in the United States, so it’s something to take very seriously. It can be fatal even among patients who get all of the proper treatment. That’s why it’s so important to detect cancer as soon as possible. As stated by the World Health Organization: “Early detection of cancer greatly increases the chances for successful treatment.”
Stopping the spread
One reason why early detection is so important is because it can help to stop cancer from spreading throughout the body. Oftentimes, localized cancer can be treated or even surgically removed. But once it begins to spread to other parts of the body, this process becomes much more complicated, and the odds go up that the cancer will be fatal.
Additionally, early detection means that a patient may have minimal challenges associated with their condition. In some cases, a patient may not notice any symptoms at all. Early detection can help to ensure that cancer that is localized will not spread to major, vital systems.
The problem with a delayed diagnosis
The other side of the coin, of course, is that a delayed diagnosis can be fatal. Someone may have a type of cancer that could be surgically removed if it was identified as soon as it develops. But, when it is identified a year later, it may have spread to other organs where it can no longer be removed.
In some cases, people believe that their doctor has been negligent. Maybe a doctor should’ve spotted signs that an individual had cancer earlier. Maybe a doctor misdiagnosed cancer as a different condition that wasn’t nearly as serious, delaying an accurate diagnosis. Either way, these types of complications can make it more expensive to treat cancer and more likely that a patient will pass away as a result of their condition. Under such circumstances, seeking legal guidance promptly tends to be the wisest course of action.