Spinal Tumours

If a spinal tumour is undiagnosed, when it should have been picked up, it could grow and progress leaving the patient at risk of permanent neurological injury and harm.

‍

Spinal tumours must be very carefully managed to make sure that permanent damage is not caused and to prevent the cancer from spreading.  

‍

If spinal tumours are not managed properly, or are not diagnosed quickly enough, then it may be negligent.

‍

Some common examples of medical negligence related to spinal tumours include:

‍

Misdiagnosis or Delayed Diagnosis of a Spinal Tumour

‍

If a healthcare professional fails to identify the symptoms of a spinal tumour, such as back pain, weakness, numbness, or difficulty walking, then this could be negligent if it causes a delay in diagnosis.  

‍

The symptoms of a spinal tumour can appear similar to other conditions. If a healthcare professional misdiagnoses symptoms of a spinal tumour and thinks that they are due to another condition like muscle strain or disc disease, this could be negligent.  

‍

If misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosis leads to a delay in treatment of a spinal tumour, and this causes harm, then it could be negligent.  

‍

Failure to Investigate

‍

If a healthcare professional fails to recognise that a patient might have a spinal tumour and fails to make a referral to a specialist or ask for the necessary tests, such as MRI scans or CT scans, then this could lead to a missed opportunity for early detection and treatment.  

‍

If the delay results in avoidable harm, then this could be negligent.

‍

Delayed Treatment

If treatment for a spinal tumour is delayed, this may lead to the tumour progressing or compression of the spinal cord or nerve roots.

If this causes complications or a deterioration in the patient’s condition that would have avoidable with timely treatment, then it may be negligent.  

‍

Spinal Tumour Surgery - Surgical Errors

Some people with a spinal tumour need surgery to remove it. If the procedure is not performed correctly or there is damage caused to surrounding nerves or tissues, then it may lead to serious consequences for the patient.  

If improperly performed surgery causes complications or a deterioration in the patient’s condition that would have avoidable, then it may be negligent.