Possible Malpractice Over Undiagnosed Lung Cancer

**tankeracav** · 06-19-2007, 06:20 PM

My 93 year old father was diagnosed with lung cancer about 2 months ago. He had went to see his Doctor about having problems breathing. He was sent for X-Rays which showed spots on his right lung. A PET Scan was done and revealed it in even more places. Next a cat scan which showed it also. Now when the Dr got the report on the Cat Scan it referenced another scan he had four years ago when he had a hernia repaired. Not a word was said about the spots back then. In four years it has doubled in size and is now into the lymphnodes. Had we had known something could have been done back in 2003 and he possibly wouldn't be going thru this now. I can't believe the Doctor didn't say anything about it. He did use to smoke he quit in 1968 and was exposed to Agent Orange when he was in Viet Nam.

What should we do? Any help would be appreciated.

**Pro Se** · 06-20-2007, 03:07 PM

What did the chest x-ray report from four years ago say? Did the radiologist report the spots or is he/she now observing them retrospectively? If they report from four years ago noted the spots, then what did your father's doctor discuss with him back then?

**tankeracav** · 06-21-2007, 02:05 PM

The Radiologist 4 years ago noted the spots on the cat scan report. The
Dr who ordered it said absolutely not one word about them. His Heart Dr now is the one who alerted us to the fact the spots were there 4 years ago. Because the radiologist refered to the spots frome 2003 cat scan in the recent one and stated they had doubled in size and had spread into his lymphnodes. Thanks

**rmet4nzkx** · 06-21-2007, 03:31 PM

Has your father discussed with his doctors what the prognosis of aggressive cancer treatment in an 89 year old man with cardiac history vs the quality of life with palliative care?

**Pro Se** · 06-21-2007, 06:09 PM

tankeracav, perhaps I was not clear in expressing my thoughts to you. I asked you specifically about the 2003 cat scan report and not the reference to the films or report made in 2007. What I wanted to know is were the spots noted in 2003 and contained in the written report generated contemporaneously in 2003 or were the spots noted in 2007 and then the 2003 films were reviewed again in 2007 at which time the radiologist felt that masses now seen in 2007 might have been present in 2003, but when without comment?

The next part of my questions was if the spots were noted in 2003 and reported in writing in 2003 to the ordering physician, did the physician have a discussion about the spots with your father? Granted your fater was at the time 89 years old, but he is entitled to know and be informed of his options by the physician ordering the test in 2003. Again, this is predicated on a written report dated in 2003 identifying the spots on a 2003 cat scan.

If the spots were first reported in 2007 and then the old flms were reviewed for confirmation then the problems are much different. At no point does a physician make a determination for the patient without consulting the patient about prognosis and options. I do not want to get into the reliablitiy of an 89 year old gentleman or his education or his ability to understand. I have an 89 year old father-in-law who despite my best efforts to explains certain concepts about his healthcare plan cannot make an intelligent informed decision to my standards of comprehension of the healthcare subjects that confrnt him. I do not beleive that I will ever be able to help him comprehend medical issues for which he has no foundation of comprehension. If you looked at certain specific medical issues associated with the care he has received you could make a case for malpractice until you examined his participation in the decisions he barely understands.