A missed or delayed cancer diagnosis may affect a patient’s treatment options, prognosis, and course of care. When the delay results from a medical provider’s failure to meet the applicable standard of care, Illinois law may allow an injured patient to seek compensation for legally recognized harm.
Duncan Law Group evaluates cancer misdiagnosis claims for patients and families throughout Chicago and Cook County. Call (312) 202-3283 to discuss the circumstances of your case in a free, confidential consultation.
When a Missed or Delayed Cancer Diagnosis May Point to Negligence
Not every missed or delayed cancer diagnosis reflects medical malpractice, since cancer can sometimes be genuinely difficult to detect even with appropriate care. Potential negligence may be present, however, when a physician:
- Failed to order appropriate testing based on a patient’s symptoms or risk factors: A provider may need to investigate symptoms, medical history, or other clinical information that reasonably calls for additional testing.
- Dismissed or failed to follow up on concerning test results: Unaddressed abnormal findings or missed follow-up may delay further evaluation.
- Misread imaging or pathology results: An inaccurate interpretation of a mammogram, scan, biopsy, or pathology report may contribute to a missed or delayed diagnosis.
- Failed to refer a patient to an appropriate specialist: When a referral is clinically indicated, a delay in specialist evaluation may delay additional diagnostic steps.
- Failed to consider family history or other known risk factors: Risk factors may affect whether additional screening, monitoring, or follow-up is clinically indicated.
Determining whether negligence actually occurred requires a careful review of the specific medical records and, generally, input from a qualified medical expert.
Types of Cancer Misdiagnosis Cases We Handle in Chicago
Duncan Law Group evaluates a range of claims involving missed, delayed, or incorrect cancer diagnoses. The circumstances of each case are different, and whether a claim is viable depends on the medical care provided, the applicable standard of care, and whether an alleged error caused compensable harm.
Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis
Breast cancer misdiagnosis cases often involve a failure to order or properly interpret a mammogram, a delayed follow-up on an abnormal finding, or a failure to order additional imaging or a biopsy when clinically indicated.
Lung Cancer Misdiagnosis
Lung cancer misdiagnosis cases often involve a failure to order appropriate imaging for a patient with concerning symptoms or risk factors, or a misread chest X-ray or CT scan that delayed an accurate diagnosis.
Colorectal Cancer Misdiagnosis
Colorectal cancer misdiagnosis cases often involve a failure to order appropriate screening based on a patient's age or symptoms, a missed finding during a colonoscopy, or a delayed follow-up on abnormal lab results or symptoms such as rectal bleeding.
Prostate Cancer Misdiagnosis
Prostate cancer misdiagnosis cases often involve a failure to properly evaluate an elevated PSA level, a delayed biopsy despite concerning findings, or a failure to refer a patient to a urologist when clinically appropriate.
Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims Across Chicago's Hospitals and Medical Centers
Cancer misdiagnosis claims can arise across hospitals, outpatient clinics, and medical centers throughout the Chicago area, involving primary care physicians, radiologists, pathologists, oncologists, and other specialists who may have played a role in a patient's care.
Because cancer diagnosis often involves multiple providers across different points in a patient's care, identifying every party whose conduct may have contributed to a delayed or missed diagnosis requires a thorough investigation into the full course of treatment.
How Our Chicago Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorneys Build a Malpractice Claim
Building a cancer misdiagnosis claim often begins with a review of the patient’s medical records, including office notes, imaging studies, pathology reports, laboratory results, referral records, and follow-up communications. Duncan Law Group may consult qualified medical experts to assess the applicable standard of care, whether the provider’s actions or omissions departed from that standard, and whether the alleged error caused legally compensable harm.
Because cancer care can involve multiple providers and facilities, the investigation may also examine the timeline of testing, referrals, result reporting, and follow-up care.
Why Choose Duncan Law Group for a Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim
Cancer misdiagnosis claims can involve extensive medical records, multiple providers, complex expert analysis, and significant questions about causation. Duncan Law Group brings courtroom experience and a history of handling serious medical negligence and medical malpractice claims for Illinois patients and families.
Our firm has recovered more than $350 million for injured clients, including more than $70 million in verdicts and settlements during 2025 alone across medical negligence, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and other serious injury cases. Our medical malpractice results include recoveries of:
- $15 million for medical malpractice claim
- $4.125 million for a medical negligence claim
- $4 million for a medical negligence claim
- $3.75 million for a medical malpractice claim
While prior results cannot guarantee a similar outcome in any future matter, they reflect the firm’s experience handling high-stakes injury claims.
Led by Attorney Robert Duncan, Duncan Law Group combines more than 100 years of collective legal experience in state and federal courts. Attorney Duncan has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims and families.
Duncan Law Group has represented Illinois victims and families harmed by negligence. The firm takes a hands-on, client-centered approach to investigating what went wrong, identifying responsible parties, and pursuing the full compensation available under Illinois law.
If you believe a delayed, missed, or incorrect cancer diagnosis caused preventable harm, contact Duncan Law Group for a free, confidential consultation. There is no fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you.
Speak With a Chicago Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyer About Your Case
If you or a loved one has concerns about a missed, delayed, or incorrect cancer diagnosis in Chicago, Duncan Law Group can review the circumstances of your case. For information about how diagnostic delays can affect patients and the legal options that may be available, read our guide to the real consequences of misdiagnosed cancer and your legal options.
If a missed or delayed diagnosis may have contributed to a loved one’s death, learn more about wrongful death claims. Call (312) 202-3283 or contact Duncan Law Group for a free, confidential case evaluation.
Chicago Cancer Misdiagnosis FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a cancer misdiagnosis lawyer?
Duncan Law Group generally handles cancer misdiagnosis cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there's no upfront cost to you, and we only get paid if we recover compensation on your behalf. Call our team to discuss the specific fee arrangement for your case.
Do I have a cancer misdiagnosis claim?
Whether you have a viable claim depends on the specific facts of your medical care, including whether a physician's conduct fell below the accepted standard and whether that failure caused measurable harm to your outcome. A careful review of your medical records by an attorney and qualified medical experts is necessary to answer this question.
Which types of cancer are most often misdiagnosed?
Breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers are among the cancer types frequently involved in misdiagnosis claims, often due to missed or misread imaging, delayed follow-up on concerning findings, or a failure to order appropriate testing based on a patient's symptoms or risk factors.
How do you prove a cancer diagnosis was negligently missed or delayed?
Proving this generally requires a detailed review of the patient's complete medical records and input from qualified medical experts who can establish that the physician's conduct fell below the accepted standard of care and that this failure caused the cancer to progress to a more advanced stage than it otherwise would have.
Can I file a claim if a cancer misdiagnosis led to a loved one's death?
A wrongful death claim may be available when medical negligence contributed to a person’s death. In Illinois, a wrongful death action is generally brought by the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate for the benefit of eligible surviving family members. An attorney can review the circumstances and explain the available options.
