Share:
Cancer tumor conceals patient dies - doctor must pay 55,000 euros
A Bonn dermatologist's office has to pay € 55,000 in damages because she did not tell a patient about a malignant tumor. In the man who had a conspicuous birthmark removed, more tumors had been discovered years later; he died. If he had known about his cancer, medical treatment could have been taken early.
Skin lesions may indicate cancer
According to the German Cancer Society, up to 190,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year nationwide. Early diagnosis usually improves treatment options. Therefore, you should immediately consult a doctor for the first signs of skin cancer, such as flaky skin or itchy skin lesions.
In some practices, however, it seems to be in better hands than in others: in a dermatological practice in North Rhine-Westphalia, a patient was denied the findings of a malignant finding.
In NRW, a patient was not informed of the finding of a malignant tumor. The dermatological practice must now pay 55,000 euros in damages. (Image: Paul Hill / fotolia.com) Medical practice must pay 55,000 euros in damages
As reported on the website of the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry of Justice, a Bonn dermatologist must pay € 55,000 in damages because it has not informed a patient of the findings on a malignant tumor. A court spokeswoman explained accordingly that the family of the deceased patient and the two responsible physicians before the Bonn district court had agreed on this settlement.
Patient was not informed of laboratory findings
According to the information, the man had been removed in 2008 a conspicuous birthmark on the shoulder. The doctors had not passed on to the patient the later laboratory finding that it was a malignant tumor. In an emergency operation four years later, further tumors in the lung and small intestine were discovered. Two months later, the man died at the age of 59 years.
Gross treatment error
According to the Bonn judges, the medical practice is unquestionably because of a gross treatment error. It is said that it is up to the medical profession to put the patient to such serious conclusions and discuss everything else with him. According to the information, the cancer would have been different if medical measures had been taken early.
The Higher Regional Court Hamm in North Rhine-Westphalia also dealt with a similar case a few months ago. It was about a woman whose skin cancer was mistaken by a dermatologist as a bacterial infection. The patients later died of their cancer. The judges ruled at that time that the husband of the deceased has a claim to compensation of 100,000 euros. (Ad)