Spinal injuries have a devastating effect on lives. At a distressing time, our specialist spinal injury lawyers can offer straightforward and clear advice and assistance. Our approach is to work with our client and their family as necessary to ensure maximum compensation to help rebuild their lives.
What is a spinal tumour?
There are a range of different tumours which can affect the spinal cord including meningiomas and schwannomas. There are also other tumours which can affect the bones around the spinal cord such as Ewing’s sarcoma.
Surgery to remove a spinal cord or spinal bone tumour is usually the first line of treatment but it may also necessary to have radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy depending on the type of tumour. We obtained a six figure sum in compensation for a 17 year old boy following a delay in diagnosis of a Ewings sarcoma tumour of the spine.
Do I have a claim?
Our spinal injury claim specialists have helped clients who have experienced delays in diagnosis of a spinal tumour, resulting in a delay in treatment of their cancer. Delays in treatment can occur as a result of misinterpreting scans or a failure to investigate the symptoms of spinal cord compression, as well as other reasons.
Early diagnosis and treatment is essential for spinal tumours. The longer a tumour is present and pressing on the nerves in the spine, the more extensive any neurological symptoms will be and it will become less likely that a person will make a good recovery. In some cases, earlier treatment of the cancer by even a few hours or days can make a difference to recovery.
Where someone has experienced a delay in diagnosis of a spinal tumour, it is necessary to establish what injuries have been caused as a result of a delay in diagnosis and treatment of their cancer.
Demonstrating the extent of the damage caused by a delay can be challenging. In cases involving spinal tumours, even with an earlier diagnosis and treatment, often surgery is necessary to relieve any pressure on the nerves in the spine. Different tumours also grow at different rates. If a tumour is slow growing, it could be present for some time before any symptoms become apparent and some nerve damage could have occurred before the point of any potentially negligent treatment.
How we can help
Spinal tumours press on the nerves in the spine and this can result in neurological symptoms. The symptoms can vary depending on where the tumour is on the spine and the period of delay. The symptoms can include altered sensation such as numbness and pins and needles in the arms and hands and legs and feet. Tumours affecting the lower part of the spine can cause bladder and bowel dysfunction.
Following treatment there is a significant period of readjustment and adaptation to ongoing symptoms such as mobility issues. Compensation can help to provide therapies during rehabilitation, private care and specialist aids and equipment which may include assistive technology.
Complications arising from the treatment of spinal tumours can also occur for non-negligent reasons. If you would like to discuss whether you have a potential claim for medical negligence, we can assist you with this and advise whether you may be entitled to compensation which could help with your rehabilitation and recovery.
