Regular breast checks are an important part of medical care, but sometimes they aren’t enough to properly determine if cancer is there.
What is triple test breast screening?
The triple test involves patient history and clinical breast examination; mammography and/or ultrasound imaging; and the use of non-excisional biopsy. Cancer Australia CEO, Dr Helen Zorbas, said that when performed appropriately, the triple test will detect over 99.6% of cancers.
Why is it important to triple test?
Breast symptoms are a commonly seen by GPs, but while most changes are not due to cancer, it is important to use the triple test to either confirm or exclude a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Breast Cancer remains a sad but common reality for so many Australians. According to Cancer Australia, it is estimated that a person has a 1 in 15 (or 6.7%) risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85 , and for women specifically it is a 1 in 8 or 13%.
That’s why the Cancer Australia in their updated Investigation of a new breast symptom: A guide for general practitioners, 2021 has listed the triple test breast screening as the recommended approach to investigating new breast symptoms.
Unfortunately triple tests are not always provided, and when they aren’t and they miss detecting cancer, it can greatly impact the type of treatment, or even in some cases the severity of the cancer when it is discovered later down the road.
I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer and was not given a triple test breast examination
Medical misdiagnosis* occurs when a health care practitioner either fails to diagnose or erroneously diagnoses an illness or condition.
If you’ve been diagnoses with breast cancer and when you went in for a breast check, were not given a triple test breast screening, you may be entitled to legal compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of income
*You may only be eligible to make a claim if you can prove that this delay in diagnosis has led to a change in your outcome.
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If you have a question, want some more information or would just like to speak to someone, check if you have a claim now and our Medical Law team will be in touch with you as soon as possible
We offer a No Win, No Fee* arrangement. This means that if you don’t win, you don’t pay the fees for the work we do on your case!
When dealing with a serious illness the last thing you need to worry about is difficult legal forms. That’s why, when you work with Slater and Gordon we take it from here so you can focus on your treatment.
Get advice
Medical negligence is a particularly complex area of law and any potential claim must be investigated thoroughly. If you have been injured or suffered damage as a result of a misdiagnosis and you think that you have a medical negligence claim, submit an online enquiry or call us.
