Santa Ana Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Attorney

Women in Santa Ana rely on their doctors, imaging centers, and hospitals to identify the signs of breast cancer early and to act on them with urgency. When they don’t, the result isn’t just missed time. It’s a lost opportunity to treat the disease before it spreads.

At Hodes Milman, our attorneys represent patients and families harmed by missed, delayed, or incorrect breast cancer diagnoses. These cases are complex, but they follow a clear principle: when healthcare professionals fail to follow known standards for reviewing symptoms or scans, and cancer grows unchecked, the law allows patients to seek accountability.

If you or someone in your family experienced a misdiagnosis that led to treatment delays, advanced cancer, or loss of life, speak with a Santa Ana breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney as soon as you can. These cases rely on timing, records, and experience.

Call (949) 640-8222 or message us online to request a free case review.

Why Families Call Us After a Missed Diagnosis

Breast cancer misdiagnosis cases are some of the most difficult conversations families face. Patients trusted their doctors to act quickly, only to find out later that critical signs were missed. The law gives patients the right to hold healthcare providers accountable when delays or mistakes change the course of treatment.

Families don’t call a Santa Ana breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney because they’re thinking about lawsuits first. They call because they’re trying to make sense of what happened and how it will affect the years ahead. Our role is to help them understand the medical facts and take action when those facts show preventable harm.

One family shared this after choosing our firm:

“In October 2020 we found ourselves in need of a law firm to represent us in a medical malpractice lawsuit. After interviewing 4 different law firms in Orange County, we settled on Dan Hodes and Jacob Brender of Hodes Milman. From the first Zoom meeting we felt confident that they would give us the attention this case needed. Kind and courteous with great attention to details, Jacob and Dan worked with us for months, and the end result was a settlement that exceeded our expectation and will help us live comfortably moving forward.”

Understanding How Breast Cancer Is Diagnosed

In a typical case, breast cancer is identified through a combination of screening, clinical judgment, and diagnostic imaging. Because it can be asymptomatic in early stages, screening tools and response protocols are essential. In Santa Ana, patients frequently receive care through imaging centers affiliated with:

• Orange County Global Medical Center,
• St. Joseph Hospital and affiliated clinics, and
• Private radiology providers or women’s health groups throughout North Main Street and Bristol Street corridors.

When breast cancer isn’t caught, the root cause is often found in one or more of these steps:

Clinical Breast Exams

Clinicians must recognize abnormal findings during both routine and complaint-driven physical exams. When a patient reports a lump, changes to the breast, or nipple discharge, the exam sets the stage for further urgent testing.

Diagnostic Imaging (Mammogram, Ultrasound, MRI)

Radiologists interpret images to identify suspicious masses or calcifications. If they fail to characterize the findings accurately—or if they downgrade the concern—they may delay the next step: biopsy.

Pathology Reports

Once a biopsy sample is collected, a pathologist analyzes the tissue to determine if cancer is present. A failure to properly assess or communicate the results may result in the patient going untreated while the cancer continues to progress.

When any part of this chain breaks down, patients lose critical time. Every month of delay can increase the likelihood of cancer spreading to lymph nodes, bones, lungs, or other organs.

Barriers to Accurate Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Santa Ana

Breast cancer misdiagnosis isn’t always about a missed appointment—it’s often about poor communication, rushed decisions, or failures in follow-through. In Santa Ana, patients may face additional risks because of:

• Language barriers that cause misunderstandings about symptoms;
• Overloaded clinics that result in rushed exams or misread imaging;
• Fragmented care where doctors don’t coordinate follow-up; and
• Insurance limitations that prevent second opinions or specialist referrals.

When these barriers combine with medical errors, a misdiagnosis can happen even when patients do everything right.

When to Seek a Second Opinion After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Patients in Santa Ana often ask whether they should get a second opinion after receiving a benign result or being told their mass is not cancerous. In many cases, the answer is yes.

A second opinion is critical when:

• A lump is present, but imaging is called “normal”;
• Symptoms persist even after an initial negative screening;
• The imaging results are marked “probably benign,” but no follow-up is scheduled; and
• There’s a history of dense breast tissue, which can hide cancer on mammograms.

Second opinions often involve having a new radiologist review the original imaging or getting additional imaging, like an MRI or ultrasound. For patients, this step can mean the difference between catching cancer early and facing a more serious diagnosis later.

Our Santa Ana breast cancer misdiagnosis law firm sees many cases where a second opinion could have prevented months of delay. That’s why it’s a critical part of both patient care and legal case review.

What Misdiagnosis Really Means in Breast Cancer Cases

Breast cancer misdiagnosis takes several forms. Each one introduces risk and alters the patient’s treatment path.

• False Negatives: A test or radiology scan incorrectly comes back as normal, though cancer is present.
• Delayed Diagnosis: Cancer is eventually found, but months after initial symptoms or concerning results were reported.
• Missed Follow-Ups or Referrals: A primary care physician or OB-GYN fails to refer a patient for urgent follow-up after an abnormal mammogram or ultrasound.
• Failure to Biopsy: Imaging suggests a mass, but the provider fails to move toward a tissue biopsy, leaving the cancer undiagnosed.
• Misinterpreted Pathology: A sample is evaluated incorrectly, or the report is delayed or buried in the system.

These are not always isolated to one provider. Hospitals, radiologists, imaging centers, and individual doctors all carry specific duties—if any one of them fails to act within the accepted standard, the delay becomes harmful. Some delays span three months, others a full year. In every case, delay impacts survival rates and treatment options.

Most families don’t get a full explanation of how a breast cancer misdiagnosis happened. By the time cancer is found, the focus shifts to treatment, not accountability.
That’s where a Santa Ana breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyer steps in.

Call (949) 640-8222 or contact us online to speak with Hodes Milman about what went wrong and how a delayed diagnosis changed your care. The consultation is free.

Signs That a Misdiagnosis May Have Occurred

Many patients only realize there was a misdiagnosis after their cancer is already staged and treatment has begun. Hodes Milman often begins cases months or even years after the first symptoms or appointments.

You may have grounds to bring a breast cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit in Santa Ana if:

• You informed your doctor of a lump and were told it was benign without imaging;
• You had an abnormal mammogram or ultrasound, but weren’t told or referred for follow-up;
• You received a diagnosis of Stage 2, 3, or 4 breast cancer after seeing your doctor months earlier for symptoms;
• You met with multiple doctors before anyone investigated seriously;
• You were told your prior scans were reviewed inaccurately after the cancer was later confirmed; or
• Imaging or pathology reports were altered, delayed, or never communicated to you.

How Misdiagnosis Affects Treatment and Care

When breast cancer is misdiagnosed, patients lose critical options, not just time. Some are told their mass is benign and sent home without treatment. Others are misdiagnosed with a different type of breast condition, only to find out months later that cancer was missed.

These mistakes change the entire course of care.

For some, a misdiagnosis means:

• More aggressive surgery (such as mastectomy instead of lumpectomy);
• Lymph node involvement that requires additional removal and leads to lymphedema;
• More intensive chemotherapy and radiation;
• Loss of fertility options due to stronger treatment regimens; and
• Palliative treatment instead of curative treatment, if the cancer spreads too far.

When cancer is found earlier, many patients qualify for treatments that preserve their quality of life. A misdiagnosis takes away that chance.

What Families Deserve After a Misdiagnosis

Breast cancer is treatable in the early stages. When healthcare providers ignore symptoms, misread scans, or fail to follow up, the outcome shifts from manageable care to a significant disruption in a patient’s life.

Medical negligence lawsuits don’t reverse the diagnosis. But they address the tangible and lasting consequences you carry because of someone else’s inattention.

A successful claim can lead to recovery for:

• Surgical care, radiation, and chemotherapy now required due to advanced staging;
• Repeat hospitalizations, additional surgeries, or targeted therapy unique to higher-stage cases;
• Lost wages or future earnings affected by recurring treatment or permanent disability;
• Loss of fertility due to stronger chemotherapy or partial mastectomy;
• Psychological trauma and ongoing anxiety;
• Permanent disfigurement, lymphatic complications, or loss of strength/mobility; and
• Loss of life and the legal losses that come with wrongful death.

Families often worry about what pursuing a claim means for them. A national survey from Martindale-Nolo found that personal injury claimants who hired an attorney recovered nearly three times more on average than those who tried to handle the case on their own. These cases are too important—and too medically complex—to take on without experienced support.

Beyond compensation, these claims also preserve evidence and hold providers accountable. They create pressure on healthcare systems to correct the failures that led to the misdiagnosis, so the next patient receives better care.

Wrongful Death from a Missed Diagnosis of Breast Cancer

When a delayed diagnosis results in fatal cancer progression, California law allows family members to file a wrongful death claim.

This type of case addresses financial and emotional losses the family endures following the loss of their loved one, especially when that loss came after months or years of delayed care.

Family members such as spouses, children, or dependents may recover for:

• Funeral and end-of-life medical expenses
• Future income the deceased would have provided
• Loss of care, companionship, and guidance
• Pain and trauma suffered by the deceased before passing

A Santa Ana breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyer from Hodes Milman can walk families through the timeline, medical findings, and chain of care to identify where the breach occurred and who is legally responsible.

Why Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Cases Are Complex

Families often come to us after months of medical appointments, referrals, and tests without a clear explanation of how things went wrong. Most breast cancer cases involve multiple providers, disconnected records, and decisions that aren’t always documented clearly. That makes it hard for patients to trace where the delay happened.

At Hodes Milman, we handle this review directly. Our team looks at the sequence of care to determine when the cancer should have been found and why it wasn’t. That includes:

• Reviewing the actual images from mammograms, ultrasounds, or MRIs, not just the written reports;
• Analyzing the timeline of appointments, referrals, and follow-ups;
• Reading the pathology reports to identify when the diagnosis could have been confirmed; and
• Comparing the care provided to the diagnostic standards doctors are trained to follow.

We focus on answering one core question: Did the delay in diagnosis change the outcome?

When the answer is yes, we pursue justice for the patient and their family.

Hear From Our Team About How Cancer Misdiagnoses Happen

Attorney Dan Hodes has spent decades handling cancer misdiagnosis cases. In a recent episode of the Cases 4 Causes podcast, he explains how these failures occur, why early detection is so important, and how hospitals and doctors fall short of basic safety standards.

This discussion helps families understand the real factors behind missed diagnoses—and why it’s critical to hold healthcare providers responsible when mistakes lead to preventable harm.

Local Healthcare Institutions Frequently Involved in Santa Ana Cases

Many of the cases we handle involve Santa Ana facilities because that’s where the initial imaging, diagnosis, or missed referral occurred. Knowing how local healthcare systems operate helps our attorneys understand the chain of decisions that led to the delay and who holds responsibility.

Santa Ana residents often receive mammograms, breast ultrasounds, biopsies, and oncology care through:

• Orange County Global Medical Center,
• AltaMed Medical Group (West Santa Ana and South Main offices),
• Kaiser Permanente Santa Ana Medical Offices,
• Saddleback Radiology and affiliated imaging centers in the area, and
• Smaller private OB-GYN practices within the 92701 to 92707 zip code areas.

If you received unclear test results or experienced delays while being treated at one of these facilities or a private practitioner affiliated with them, a breast cancer misdiagnosis attorney in Santa Ana can request the appropriate records and begin the review process.

“When doctors miss signs of breast cancer, it changes treatment, life expectancy, and the patient’s future. Justice means holding them accountable for that mistake.”

— Dan Hodes, Managing Partner | Hodes Milman

Talk to Hodes Milman About a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis in Santa Ana

When breast cancer is diagnosed late, families are left wondering whether the signs were there all along. We help answer that question and take legal action when a preventable delay caused harm.

Since 1982, Hodes Milman has represented patients in cases against hospitals, imaging centers, and physicians across Southern California. We handle breast cancer misdiagnosis cases in Santa Ana to help families recover what they’ve lost and prevent the same failures from happening to others.

If you’re considering a legal claim, a breast cancer misdiagnosis lawyer in Santa Ana is ready to review your case. The consultation is free and confidential.

Call (949) 640-8222 or send us a message to get started.

FAQs About Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Cases