Cancer patients who live in Cumberland County and elsewhere in Southern New Jersey and who could not obtain the cancer treatment they needed from a New Jersey healthcare facility now have an option closer to home, according to an article posted on NJ.com. New treatment options and technological improvements have allowed more hospitals to establish their own cancer treatment facilities, which provides cancer patients with greater control over where they can receive the treatment and care they need. South Jersey Healthcare (SJH) is now one of these hospitals.
The cancer treatment facilities and oncology staff at SJH allow the hospital to treat 95 percent of the cases they evaluate, rather than refer them elsewhere for treatment. Approximately 800 new cancer patients come to SJH annually. One third of the cases in 2010 were lung cancer, followed by breast cancer, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and pancreatic cancer. SJH is partnered with Fox Chase Cancer Center, but as it has its own cancer treatment facilities, most of the patients who come to SJH remain there for the length of their treatment. In 2011, out of the estimated 800 new cancer cases that came to SJH, only 50 were referred between SJH and Fox Chase.
The main treatments used at SJH include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and additional local treatment options. These treatments can improve a patient’s prognosis if they are administered correctly and timely. However, increasing treatment options and availability cannot help a cancer patient if his or her doctor fails to timely diagnose cancer or prescribe the correct or most effective treatment.
Failure to diagnose cancer, misdiagnosis of cancer, and prescribing ineffective treatment can substantially reduce a patient’s chances for survival.
If you have suffered or have lost a loved one as the result of a medical professional’s failure to diagnose cancer, their misdiagnosis of cancer, or their failure to prescribe indicated treatment, you may have cause for legal action.
The dedicated New Jersey failure to diagnose cancer lawyers at Blume Forte have the experience to investigate and handle meritorious claims and can help you determine whether you may have a valid claim. For a no-cost consultation, contact us at 973-845-4421.