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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.

Is Treating Childhood Cancer More Challenging Than Adult Cancer?

Diagnosing and treating cancer in children is markedly different from treating adults. Children’s cancers are often biologically distinct and grow more rapidly. Oncologists must rely heavily on parental observations and less on verbal feedback from the child, especially in newborns or toddlers who cannot describe their symptoms. Additionally, drug dosages, surgical approaches, and side effect management must be tailored to a child’s developing body, often making pediatric cancer treatment more complex and risk-prone.

Common Cancers in Children and Statistics You Should Know

The six most common cancers in children are:

1. Leukemia (especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia)
2. Brain and central nervous system tumors
3. Neuroblastoma
4. Wilms tumor (kidney cancer)
5. Lymphoma (including both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin)
6. Rhabdomyosarcoma (soft tissue cancer)

According to the American Cancer Society:

• • Over 15,000 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year in the U.S.
  • Around 1,700 children die from cancer annually.
  • Cancer is the second leading cause of death among children (after accidents).
  • The average age of pediatric cancer diagnosis is around 6 years old.
  • More than 80% of children survive at least five years post-diagnosis.

• Each year, thousands of children receive chemotherapy, and hundreds undergo bone marrow or organ transplants due to cancer.

Philadelphia Children’s Cancer Misdiagnosis Is More Common Than You Think

Misdiagnosing childhood cancer can be fatal. The most frequently misdiagnosed cancers in children include:

• Lymphomas (mistaken for infections)
• Brain tumors (confused with migraines or behavioral disorders)
• Sarcomas (dismissed as sports injuries or growing pains)

Diagnosing cancer early—at Stage I or II—can dramatically increase survival rates. Unfortunately, early symptoms like fatigue, bone pain, or headaches often mimic benign conditions. In Philadelphia, cancer misdiagnosis lawyers are actively investigating pediatric cases this May, particularly involving delayed diagnosis that led to cancer spreading before treatment began.

Wrong Diagnosis, Wrong Treatment: Medical Negligence in Pediatric Oncology

Failing to diagnose or properly treat a child’s cancer can lead to:

• Late-stage diagnosis
• Ineffective or harmful treatments
• Spread of cancer to other organs
• Reduced survival chances

The consequences of such negligence are long-term, life-altering, and in some cases, fatal. A Philadelphia cancer misdiagnosis lawyer can determine if the medical care your child received fell below the accepted standard.

Tumor Resection and Surgical Errors in Children

Philadelphia tumor resection error cases resulting from doctors’ negligence or poor skills often arise when:

• • Surgeons fail to remove all cancerous tissue, allowing the tumor to regrow.
  • Surgeons remove too much healthy tissue, damaging vital organs.

• Anesthesia errors occur—especially dangerous in pediatric surgeries due to children’s sensitivity to medications and underdeveloped organs.

Children undergoing organ or bone marrow transplants for cancer require meticulous coordination. Errors in matching, timing, or post-op care can lead to severe complications or death. These are some of the most complex medical procedures and, unfortunately, also prone to malpractice.

Pain Management, Mental Suffering, and Family Impact

Cancer is not just physically painful—it causes immense emotional and psychological trauma. For children, especially those too young to understand their illness, unmanaged pain can lead to trauma and mental health disorders.

Physicians must balance effective pain relief with the risks of addiction or side effects from opioids or other medications. When they fail, the child and family suffer. Our Philadelphia pediatric cancer malpractice attorneys understand that emotional harm is as serious as physical injury.

Mental health issues—including anxiety, depression, PTSD—are common in young cancer patients and their families. Compensation should reflect the full scope of these impacts, including:

• • Lost parental income from caregiving
  • Home modifications
  • Mental health therapy

• Special education or developmental support

Philadelphia Chemotherapy Errors and Overdose Cases

Administering chemotherapy is fraught with risks—especially in young patients. Errors may include:

• Administering too much (overdose)
• Administering without proper indication
• Giving the wrong type or at the wrong time
• Administering based on incorrect weight calculations

Parents often go to extreme lengths—financially and emotionally—to get care for their child. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous providers exploit this trust, recommending expensive and unnecessary treatments.

Philadelphia chemotherapy errors and Philadelphia chemo overdose claims are serious legal matters. If your child was harmed by improper chemotherapy administration, our legal team can help.

When Medical Negligence Leads to a Philadelphia Child’s Wrongful Death from Cancer

Sometimes, a child’s life ends far too soon—not because the cancer was untreatable, but because critical medical mistakes were made. These cases are among the most heartbreaking examples of medical malpractice. When a child dies due to a pediatrician’s or oncologist’s negligence, the devastation ripples beyond measure. No lawsuit can ever bring back a child, and we deeply understand the hopelessness and grief that follow such a loss.

Still, during May 2025—Children’s Cancer Awareness Month—it’s vital to not only honor the lives of young patients lost but also to demand accountability. Doctors, pediatricians, and oncologists who failed in their duty of care must be held responsible. Not only do grieving parents deserve compensation and justice, but taking legal action also helps protect future children by advocating for better, more cautious medical practices. Young patients cannot always express how they feel—so it is up to doctors to observe signs more closely, listen more attentively, and act more decisively.

In Philadelphia, wrongful death lawsuits involving children who died from treatable cancers are tragically common when preventable medical errors are involved. These cases often arise from:

• Delayed diagnosis
• Surgical complications
• Medication errors
• Hospital-acquired infections
• Failure to monitor or follow up

When this kind of negligence results in a child’s death, parents may file a wrongful death lawsuit to pursue:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of companionship and parental relationship
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma
• Medical bills incurred before death

While legal action cannot heal the emotional wounds, it can provide essential financial relief and a sense of justice. More importantly, these lawsuits send a clear message to healthcare institutions: children deserve better, and mistakes that cost lives must not go unaddressed.

If you’re a parent who has suffered this kind of tragic loss, we want you to know—you are not alone. We will handle everything. From investigating the facts to filing the lawsuit, negotiating with hospitals and insurance companies, and representing you in court if needed, we’ll take care of it all. So you can focus on mourning, healing, and supporting your surviving family without the added burden of a legal battle.

Let May be a time of remembrance—and a call for change. Together, we can push for accountability, safer pediatric care, and justice for the children who deserved so much more.

Cancer in the NICU and Neonatal Errors

Even the tiniest lives are vulnerable. Some cancers begin in the womb and are missed entirely in utero or during early NICU evaluations. Failure to recognize early cancer symptoms in neonates may lead to permanent harm or death. Neonatal cases often involve misdiagnosed congenital tumors, unmonitored genetic syndromes, or birth injuries complicating cancer detection.

Medical Malpractice vs. Product Liability in Childhood Cancer Cases

In some cases, cancer may stem not from medical mistakes—but from toxic exposures or dangerous products. Several products marketed as safe for children were later found to contain carcinogens.

Examples include:

• Talcum powder
• Certain baby shampoos and lotions with formaldehyde
• Plastic toys with phthalates
• Flame-retardant pajamas
• Contaminated baby formula

Liable parties may include:

• Healthcare providers: pediatric oncologist, radiologist, anesthesiologist, pathologist, NICU nurse
  
• Non-medical parties: product manufacturers, marketing companies, school or daycare operators, landlords, or utility providers allowing toxic exposures

How a Philadelphia Children’s Cancer Lawyer Can Help You

Our lawyers are committed to protecting the rights of children harmed by medical negligence. We:

• Offer free initial consultations
  
• Work on a contingency fee basis (you pay nothing unless we win)
  
• Provide online or in-home consultations
  
• Handle every aspect of your claim—so you can focus on your child
  
• Preserve your rights under the discovery rule in delayed-diagnosis cases
  
• Respect client-attorney confidentiality

Many parents don’t realize they still have legal options—even if a diagnosis or error occurred years ago. We urge you not to speak with hospital attorneys or insurance agents before calling us. Settlements offered early are often far below what your family deserves.

Why May 2025 Awareness Matters: Pediatric Cancer, Stroke, and Our Shared Responsibility

May 2025 is a critical month for reflection, education, and action. It marks both Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and Stroke Awareness Month—two vital public health observances that remind us how deeply vulnerable children truly are. For those of us who serve as medical malpractice and wrongful death attorneys, these awareness efforts are not symbolic—they are foundational to our mission of justice and prevention.

Stroke is often thought of as an adult condition, but in reality, it can occur in some of the youngest and most defenseless patients—including fetuses in the womb, newborns during or after birth, and children throughout their developmental years. Conditions like sickle cell disease, which disproportionately affect children of color, are one of the leading causes of pediatric stroke. At the same time, pediatric cancers remain one of the most feared diagnoses for any parent—and tragically, some deaths occur not because the disease was incurable, but because of missed diagnoses, delayed treatments, or fatal medical errors.

This is why awareness months matter so deeply. They’re not just about ribbons and slogans—they’re about recognizing urgent medical realities, breaking the silence around systemic failures, and educating families and healthcare providers alike. For legal professionals in the field of medical negligence and wrongful death, these months highlight both the heartbreaking cost of inaction and the opportunity to make meaningful change.

Why is it so important to talk about and enforce children’s rights and access to quality healthcare?

Raising awareness about children’s health and rights isn’t just a moral issue—it’s a societal obligation. Children are the most vulnerable members of our communities. They rely entirely on the adults around them—parents, doctors, lawmakers, and yes, lawyers—to protect them when they cannot protect themselves. When mistakes in the healthcare system harm or take the lives of these little ones, it’s up to all of us to speak up, pursue justice, and demand accountability.

We build our future on the well-being of our children. That future begins with recognizing their unique medical needs, enforcing higher standards in pediatric care, and ensuring that no family suffers in silence when something preventable goes tragically wrong.

Let this May be more than a month of awareness—let it be a call to act. A call to fight for better care, informed families, and a healthcare system that never forgets its youngest, smallest patients. Their lives are precious, and it is our responsibility to protect them.

Other May 2025 Awareness Topics

This May, we also recognize:

• Sickle Cell Disease
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Skin Cancer and Melanoma – consult a Philadelphia melanoma lawyer
• Lupus
• Hepatitis
• Brain Tumors – speak with a Philadelphia brain tumor lawyer
• Philadelphia Stroke Awareness Month – stroke is a leading cause of death and disability and often misdiagnosed. Stay tuned for our article on Philadelphia stroke misdiagnosis, stroke malpractice, and stroke-related disabilities.

Mental Health Awareness in May: Why We Care

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month—a reminder that cancer affects the mind as much as the body. Our clients often suffer depression, anxiety, or PTSD due to:

• Painful treatment
  
• Loss of a child
  
• Broken trust in healthcare providers
• Long-term disabilities

We see this every day in both Philadelphia children’s cancer malpractice and Philadelphia wrongful death lawsuits. That’s why we’re more than just lawyers—we’re advocates. We listen. We explain. We support. And we fight to help your family afford therapy, adapt your home, or recover financially from tragic loss.

Hiring us means you don’t carry this burden alone. Let us handle your lawsuit while you focus on healing, grieving, and finding hope again.

Contact a Philadelphia Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney

If your child has been diagnosed with cancer—or tragically passed away—and you believe medical negligence played a role, don’t wait. Call us today for a free, confidential case evaluation. A Philadelphia cancer misdiagnosis lawyer or Philadelphia children’s cancer lawyer will listen to your story and help determine whether you have grounds for a lawsuit.

You and your child deserve answers, accountability, and the justice you were denied by those entrusted with your child’s care. Call us 24/7 at (610) 351-2330 for a free consultation today!

Last Updated on May 23, 2025