Lawyer Highlights Fatal Delay in Lung Cancer Diagnosis Despite Early Warning Signs

Attorney Gideon Faner, specializing in medical negligence and personal injury, discusses a case involving a man in his 60s who died months after a lung cancer diagnosis. Faner found the timeline suspicious, prompting him to review the patient's medical records from the previous decade. He discovered a suspicious spot in the upper left lung lobe visible in a 2018 CT scan, which was overlooked and not reported by the radiologist. Previous CT scans from 2012 and 2014 showed no such spot, indicating the lesion was new but ignored. Faner consulted a radiologist who confirmed the spot matched the later cancer diagnosis.

Faner criticizes the hospital's failure to flag the new finding and refer the patient to a pulmonologist for further testing, which could have led to early biopsy and tumor removal. He notes the hospital's system automatically compares current and past CT scans, yet the earlier images were not reviewed properly. The delay of four and a half years between the lesion's appearance and cancer diagnosis is central to the lawsuit, as early removal could have saved the patient's life.

The deceased was a heavy smoker with chronic cough and emphysema, all significant risk factors warranting frequent monitoring. Faner emphasizes that no appropriate follow-up or biopsy was conducted. Legally, the lawsuit invokes Section 41 of the Tort Ordinance, shifting the burden of proof to the defendant hospital due to the negligence causing harm. Faner stresses the lost years of life and the impact on the family, who suffered financial and emotional losses due to the premature death.

Faner's law firm, established over 48 years ago in Beersheba, is recognized for handling complex medical negligence cases. This case underscores the critical importance of timely diagnosis and the severe consequences of medical oversight.