When Medical Malpractice Endangers a Child with Cancer in Philadelphia – What Can Parents Do If Doctors Make a Dangerous Mistake?
Every May, we recognize Children’s Cancer Awareness Month — a solemn time to shine a light on young lives disrupted and sometimes ended by an unforgiving disease. Childhood cancer is heartbreaking in itself, but when medical negligence plays a role in a misdiagnosis, mistreatment, or surgical error, the devastation can be unbearable. In Philadelphia and across the nation, children diagnosed with cancer often face intense medical interventions, prolonged hospital stays, and missed school days — all while their peers are laughing at recess, learning in classrooms, and playing with friends.
What makes these circumstances even more tragic is when medical professionals—pediatricians, oncologists, radiologists, surgeons, and nurses—fail to provide an adequate standard of care. A missed or delayed diagnosis, chemotherapy error, or surgical mistake can turn a survivable illness into a fatal one.