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Failure to Diagnose Treatable Kidney Cancer Leads to Tragic Death
A 57-year-old man died after a long, agonizing death from kidney cancer that was misdiagnosed, leaving a wife, children, and two grandchildren without the love and companionship of the man who was central to their lives. Incredibly, the physician who was charged with the man¹s care confessed liability, freely admitting that the patient¹s condition should have been diagnosed—and that it likely would have been treatable, had it been diagnosed correctly.
Gentle, soft-spoken, and gregarious, the man was a Vietnam War veteran, talented musician, and successful businessman. He was a divorced father of three grown children when he met and married his second wife, whom he called the soul mate he’d been waiting for all his life. For seven years, they were supremely happy, sharing limitless common interests and taking joy in their blended family. He had achieved financial success, earning an excellent living. The future looked bright.
But, the man began to feel sick and suffered from frequent, severe nausea. His wife, who worked in the front office of a health care clinic, took her husband to one of the doctors there, whom she had grown to admire and trust. As the man’s symptoms persisted and worsened, the doctor failed to discover their cause. Finally, after many months, the doctor diagnosed kidney cancer—which, by that time, had metastasized. After a long, devastating struggle with the disease, the man died at home, in his wife’s arms.
Following his death, the family filed a medical malpractice lawsuit, charging that the negligence of the physician and clinic caused their loved one’s death.
The jury awarded the family of the man $1.85 million.