Mammography is a technology that works wonders for many women by detecting breast cancer early enough that doctors can treat it effectively. Using x-rays, mammograms offer a safe and routine screening method for women over a certain age. But if a woman is at an increased risk of breast cancer, she may need to take additional measures to catch developing masses early. These include extra forms of screening, the most common of which is magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI. Using a magnetic field and computer-generated radio waves, an MRI creates detailed images of breast tissue that can show cancerous growths that a mammogram might miss.

However, no screening measures are effective if they are not used because a doctor ignores or misses risk factors and fails to order necessary diagnostic tests. Insufficient monitoring or follow-up during routine mammograms may lead to the failure to diagnose breast cancer and lawsuits for medical malpractice. 

Who is at an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer? 

Medical providers have many tools available to estimate a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. Although there is no sure-fire way to predict whether a woman will develop breast cancer, some common risk factors include: 

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the U.S. today. Approximately one in eight American women will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime, and even men can develop this insidious disease. Although there is no failsafe method for detecting and completely eliminating breast cancer, medical professionals such as women’s health providers, oncologists, and radiologists must meet a standard of care when detecting and treating breast cancer. Failing to adhere to this standard at any point during treatment may be medical malpractice that can result in unnecessary loss of life. One of the most helpful procedures for identifying a breast abnormality is called a “stereotactic biopsy.” In this blog, we will explore what a stereotactic biopsy is and how it can help detect breast cancer. 

What is a Stereotactic Breast Biopsy? 

Stereotactic breast biopsies are procedures that use X-rays to diagnose and locate tumors or other abnormalities in breast tissue. “Stereotactic” means that a machine uses two images of the same location, taken at slightly different angles. Stereotactic biopsies are less invasive than a surgical biopsy and patients have a faster recovery time. 

Doctors will often order a stereotactic breast biopsy when they see a suspicious irregularity on a mammogram. Stereotactic breast biopsies are widely considered to be the gold standard of breast cancer diagnostic tools because they are so good at locating the exact area of concern so that a biopsy needle can take a tissue sample at an exact location. 

Families in Illinois who struggle to conceive without medical assistance already have enough challenges to manage without having to face the consequences of incompetent or negligent medical care. Unfortunately, this does not prevent in vitro fertility (IVF) treatment professionals from failing to provide an appropriate standard of care when treating their patients, potentially causing great harm to the mother, an embryo, or a child developing in utero. 

Reproductive law is relatively new and presents unique and developing legal challenges. In this blog, we will reveal some of the common harms that can result from improper treatment in a fertility clinic. If you recognize yourself as having experienced any of these conditions, a fertility medical malpractice attorney may be able to help. 

Common Types of Fertility Malpractice and Injury

Fertility clinics exist to help people who wish to become parents but are struggling with fertility due to underlying conditions. Fertility clinics may also help preserve the eggs or sperm of people who hope to have children one day but are not yet ready. 

Every year, between 75-100 women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth injuries in Illinois alone. Even worse, the 2016-17 Illinois Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Report estimated that 83% of pregnancy-related deaths could have been prevented and the problem is serious enough nationally that around 11% of medical malpractice lawsuits each year are filed against OBGYNs for medical malpractice during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.  

Mental health conditions, substance abuse, and pre-existing medical conditions can all significantly complicate the process of giving birth, but they should not be a death sentence. Women giving birth in Illinois are entitled to expect a standard of care that takes into account complicating factors and comorbidities, and when doctors and nurses fail to provide the appropriate standard of care, the consequences can be tragic. 

What Factors Contribute to Maternal Mortality? 

Many people are surprised to learn that only one in five maternal deaths occurs during childbirth. The majority of maternal deaths happen in the time following the birth, when the mother and child are no longer at the hospital. Although there are many reasons that women die during or following childbirth, they are often due to one or more of the following: 

Having to decide whether or not to get an abortion is one of the toughest positions in which a woman can find herself. The emotional complexities of abortion are sometimes complicated by the fact that abortions do not always go according to plan. Sometimes women suffer serious and even fatal injuries due to medical malpractice on the part of their abortion provider. 

If you have been injured during an abortion, an experienced Illinois medical malpractice attorney may be able to help. Seeking justice, protecting your rights, and pursuing compensation cannot undo the suffering you have experienced, but it can be a step on the road to emotional and physical recovery. 

Medical Malpractice and Abortion

Medical malpractice occurs when a doctor or other medical professional causes a patient harm by failing to provide the appropriate standard of care. Unfortunately, sometimes women who seek abortions are the victims of negligence or incompetence from their abortion provider. Common types of abortion medical malpractice include: