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Last Updated 7th November 2025. When cancer is misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, this can prevent you from getting much-needed treatment. In many cases, the early detection and treatment of cancer is essential to prevent the cancer from spreading. This medical negligence has likely caused you immense emotional distress and avoidable pain. You may even be worrying about your financial situation, as you may be unable to work.
If you’re wondering what next steps you can take, why not speak with a member of the Advice enquiries team? They can explain whether you qualify for a claim with one of our expert medical negligence solicitors. Don’t worry if you would like more time to reach a decision in relation to taking legal action, as our advice is offered with no strings attached.
Common Questions We Receive
- Are the conditions similar? There are some similar symptoms between cancer and rheumatoid arthritis, such as pain in the impacted bone and swelling.
- How can misdiagnosis occur? Medical professionals may misread scans, mix up test results with those of another patient or fail to recognise symptoms.
- How long does it take to claim compensation? This varies based on how complex each case is. For example, the time frame could be affected if you need to wait for the results of an independent medical assessment.
- How can bone cancer be diagnosed? Doctors should arrange further testing, such as an X-ray, biopsy, scan, blood test or bone marrow biopsy.
- Can I claim on behalf of a family member or loved one who has died? Yes, you can make a fatal medical negligence claim if you are the estate of the deceased or a qualifying loved one, depending on how long has passed after the death.
Speak with a helpful advisor today for further details:
- Call our helpline on 0161 509 2856
- Contact us in writing
- Enter your question for us into the Advice widget below
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Select A Section
- What Is Bone Cancer?
- Examples Of Payouts For Cancer Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis
- How Could Bone Cancer Being Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect You?
- How To Prove That Bone Cancer Has Been Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Examples Of Payouts For Misdiagnosed Bone Cancer
- Get Advice On Negligent Cancer Care
What Is Bone Cancer?
There arte two types of bone cancer that could be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis. Osteosarcoma is a rare type of cancer which can develop in the bones or tissues in the bones, and often affects older children and teenagers.
Chondrosarcoma is a more common type of bone cancer, which often grows on the surface of a bone or inside the bone. It is more common in people over 40.
Symptoms of these bone cancers include the following:
- Swelling where cancer appears
- Pain in the affected bone
- Weakness in the bone that could cause a fracture
Cancer is a condition that can get progressively worse over time. This means that is the condition is diagnosed late, it could spread to other parts of the body and become difficult to treat. For example, bone cancer can spread to the brain, lungs or other bones like the spine. In some cases, it could progress to the point where it cannot be treated, leading to a wrongful death.
All medical professionals have a duty of care towards the patients that they treat. They need to provide care that meets a minimum standard. If this is not met, and you’re caused harm that the right level of care would have prevented, this is an example of medical negligence. You could be entitled to claim compensation for how this has affected you.
What Are The Symptoms Of Rheumatoid Arthritis?
Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, wrists and feet.
The sufferer may also experience inflammation in other parts of their body. Swollen joints may also appear red and warm to the touch. In addition, someone with rheumatoid arthritis may experience fatigue, appetite loss, and weight loss.
If you have been harmed by medical negligence, why not speak with a member of our enquiries team today? If your case is valid, you could be connected with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors to work on your case.
Examples Of Payouts For Cancer Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis
If you make a successful claim after your cancer was misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, you will receive general damages. This is one of two heads of compensation that can result from a medical negligence claim.
General damages are awarded to all successful claimants, because this heading addresses the pain and suffering you endure as a result of the harm you suffered.
When this heading is being calculated, legal professionals can get help from the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). The JCG is a document that can help when negotiating a settlement, as it provides guideline compensation brackets for different forms of harm at varying severities.
We’ve included some of these brackets in the table below. Please note that these are only guidelines, and that the first entry in this table is not taken from the JCG.
Guideline Compensation Brackets
| Injury | About This Injury | Potential Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Instances Of Severe Harm And Special Damages | A combination of severe harm and special damages, which includes financial losses such as lost earnings. | Up to £1,000,000+ |
| Brain Damage - Very Severe | The injury leaves the person requiring full time care. How long they are expected to live and the extent of physical limitation impact the compensation payout. | £344,150 to £493,000 |
| Brain Damage - Moderately Severe | The person is left with serious disabilities and requires professional care. They will be substantially reliant on others. | £267,340 to £344,150 |
| Brain Damage - Moderate (ii) | Moderate to modest impact on intellect and great reduction in the ability to work, if any at all. | £110,720 to £183,190 |
| Back Injuries- Severe (i) | Damage to spinal cord causing pain and disability. | £111,150 to £196,450 |
| Back Injuries- Severe (ii) | Damage to nerve roots, loss of sensation. | £90,510 to £107,910 |
| Lung Disease | The person is younger and left with a serious disability. The condition will progressively worsen and lead to a premature death. | £122,850 to £165,860 |
| Lung Disease | Lung cancer which impairs the function of the lung and the person’s quality of life. The person will also experience severe pain. | £85,460 to £118,790 |
What Else Could I Claim?
You might also be eligible for special damages. Not all claimants receive this heading, because it covers the financial losses caused by the harm you suffered. For example, this could include losses such as:
- Lost earnings after taking time off work to recover.
- The cost of alternative childcare.
- Paying for help with housekeeping, such as cooking and cleaning.
- Prescriptions and professional nursing care.
These are just a few examples of costs that could be recouped under special damages. However, you need to be able to prove these losses, through evidence such as bank statements or receipts.
To get started on your cancer misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis claim, contact our team of friendly advisors today.
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Examples of How Cancer Could Be Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis
There are a number of different ways that a condition could be misdiagnosed. Not all of these will be the result of a breach of duty of care. If you received a late or incorrect diagnosis even though the right level of care was provided, you would not be entitled to claim.
Below are some examples of how bone cancer could be misdiagnosed or how you could receive a delayed diagnosis of the condition:
- Your doctor fails to perform a bone X-ray despite the fact that you have been experiencing your symptoms for some time.
- A bone biopsy is performed as you have been complaining about pain and swelling in one of your legs. However, the sample of bone is taken from the other leg. This means that the tests indicate that you do not have cancer, so you’re diagnosed with arthritis.
- An X-ray is performed on your affected bone, but the technician makes an error while doing so. This means that the test results are inconclusive.
You may have been harmed in a way we have not mentioned above. Provided that you were harmed as the result of a misdiagnosis resulting from negligence, you could be entitled to claim.
Now that we’ve looked at how cancer can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, we will look in the next section at how you could be impacted by that. If you’d like to speak with someone directly about claiming, get in touch with an advisor today.
How Could Cancer Being Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis Affect You?
Medical practitioners are legally required to provide their patients with a minimum standard of care. In other words, they have a duty of care towards their patients. If your condition is misdiagnosed, this could affect your health in a number of ways.
A delay in diagnosis usually means that you will not receive treatment as quickly as you could have. This could mean that your condition gets worse. In the case of cancer, the condition could spread to another part of the body. This could cause you more pain and suffering.
Furthermore, a delay in treatment could mean that you need more intensive treatment. For example, you may need a larger section of bone removed than you would have initially, or you might require a longer course of chemotherapy because your cancer has progressed.
How To Prove That Cancer Has Been Misdiagnosed As Rheumatoid Arthritis
Proving that medical negligence occurred and demonstrating the harm it caused you is important when making a claim.
Evidence which may be used to prove medical negligence could include:
- A diary of your symptoms to demonstrate how the misdiagnosis affected you.
- Your medical records. You might also be asked to attend a medical assessment as part of your claim to assist in the valuation.
- Evidence of the financial impact of your misdiagnosis, for example, receipts from purchases you have made.
Please get in touch with a member of our team today. If you have a valid case, they could connect you with a lawyer here at Advice.
Get Advice On Negligent Cancer Care
You may wish to work with a No Win No Fee lawyer when making a claim. If you work with one of our No Win No Fee solicitors, then you could be offered a kind of No Win No Fee agreement called a Conditional Fee Agreement.
This means that, generally:
- There aren’t any upfront or ongoing payments for you to make to your lawyer
- If you aren’t awarded compensation, you won’t pay them for their services
- If you are awarded compensation, a legally-capped percentage of your settlement will be deducted as a success fee
To see if you can start a claim for medical negligence, please get in touch with our team today:
- Call 0161 509 2856 to speak with a claims advisor
- Contact us via our website by filling out our form
- Use the web chat widget below
Medical Misdiagnosis Resources
We have included some external resources that you could find useful:
Bone cancer – an NHS guide
Statutory Sick Pay – Government guidance
If you have any more questions about claiming compensation for cancer misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, speak with an advisor today.
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