Breast Cancer Tops List of Malpractice Claims

WASHINGTON--Breast cancer leads the list of diseases for whichmalpractice claims have been filed in the last decade, accordingto a study from the Physician Insurers Association of America.Of 117,000 claims filed since 1985, about 2,500 involved breastcancer.

The association stressed that this number is small compared withthe estimated 1.5 million women who received a breast cancer diagnosisduring that period.

In an analysis of 487 delay in diagnosis claims, the average delaywas 14 months; 91% of these patients were under age 50. Although60% of these women found a lump by self-examination, in 35% ofcases, the "physical findings failed to impress the physician,"the study said, and this was the most common reason for delay.The second leading cause was failure to follow up on physicalexams and inconclusive mammograms.