What is Bone cancer?
Bone cancer is a rare type of cancer that initiates in the bones. This needs to be differentiated from secondary bone cancer that starts in another part of the body before passing to the bones. There are around 550 new cases diagnosed each year.
What are the symptoms?
Bone cancer can affect any bone in the body, but it mainly affects the legs and upper arms.
The main symptoms are:
What are the causes?
As with a lot of cancers, it is often impossible to advise why a cancer manifests itself. There are times, however, that bone cancer might be triggered due to:
How is it diagnosed?
There are a variety of imaging tests that can assist in locating a bone tumour. The tests that medical experts would suggest depend on the signs and symptoms.
Tests could include:
The best way to identify bone cancer is to take a biopsy of the bone and then send it for testing. This will then allow the medical professionals to decide what kind of bone cancer a patient has.
There are two different kinds of biopsies:
The biopsy will then allow doctors to decide whether the tissue is cancerous and then what kind of cancer a patient may have. It also shows whether a cancer is likely to grow slowly or more rapidly.
Variations of Bone Cancer
As some teenagers enter puberty they may develop bone tumours due to their rapid growth.
Treatment
Each bone cancer is very different and treatment will depend on the kind of cancer, a patient’s present health, what they decide to choose and the phase of that cancer. The three main treatments include:
Long term complications prognosis
The prognosis for bone cancer patients will depend on the kind of cancer and how far it is has spread.
Who is affected?
The cause of bone cancers is not known. It is thought that some cancers are due to hereditary conditions but others may be due to radiation exposure.
Charities/Useful Websites:
Bone Cancer Research Trust – they are the leading charity fighting bone cancer. Their mission is to save lives and patients outcome with research into bone cancer.
Skeletal Cancer Action Trust – they are dedicated to the advancement of bone cancer research and providing the best care and support at each stage.
How do I make a claim?
Osteosarcoma affects young children and adults and can often be misdiagnosed by medical professionals as ‘growing pains’ or muscle strains.
It is vital that bone cancer of all kinds are diagnosed as soon as possible to ensure the best survival rate, and to allow isolation of the cancer before it spreads. The survival rate can then often drop.
Bone cancers can be misdiagnosed for a variety of reasons:
If you feel that a medical professional has misdiagnosed your cancer for any of the above reasons, then you could be entitled to compensation. The team at Oakwood Solicitors will be able to give you free advice on the prospects of your case and whether you would be eligible to make a claim.
You have three years from the misdiagnosis to pursue a case, so do not delay.
How long will my case take to run?
Given the complexities involved in pursuing Clinical Negligence claims, they can often take 18-24 months to conclude and longer if Court proceedings have to be issued. Our investigations start by obtaining all relevant records and protocols before approaching independent medical experts for their opinion. We will provide you with regular updates on the progress of your case to ensure that you are kept up to speed.
How much is my claim worth?
It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset given the complexities involved however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:
Why use Oakwood Solicitors to make your Clinical Negligence case?
We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experience between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of Clinical Negligence.
Oakwood Solicitors wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon, medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.
How is my case funded?
The majority of Clinical Negligence cases are funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement, more commonly known as a ‘no-win, no-fee’ agreement. This means that there will be nothing to pay up front and nothing to pay if the claim has been lost. If you are successful in your claim, a deduction of 25% of damages will be taken to cover the success fee and the shortfall in legal fees.
It may also be the case that an After The Event (ATE) insurance policy will be obtained to cover the costs of expensive medical reports and investigations. If an ATE insurance policy has to be obtained the cost of the same will be discussed with you at the appropriate point. The cost of the ATE insurance policy is again taken from your damages and only payable if you are successful with your claim.
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