Table 6.
Reason for sarcoma malpractice litigation (n = 92 cases)
| Reason for litigation | Plaintiff % (n) |
Settlement % (n) |
Defendant % (n) |
Total (n = 92) % (n) |
| Delayed diagnosis (n = 84) | 31% (26) | 31% (26) | 38% (32) | 91% (84) |
| Without imaging or histologic findings (n = 49) | 22% (11) | 29% (14) | 49% (24) | 53% (49) |
| With imaging or histologic findings (n = 30) | 43% (13) | 37% (11) | 20% (6) | 33% (30) |
| Unspecified (n = 5) | 40% (2) | 20% (1) | 40% (2) | 5% (5) |
| Negligent chemotherapy treatment (n = 5) | 40% (2) | 40% (2) | 20% (1) | 5% (5) |
| Failure to obtain informed consent (n = 3) | 33% (1) | 0% (0) | 67% (2) | 3% (3) |
| Surgical error (n = 1) | 0% (0) | 100% (1) | 0% (0) | 1% (1) |
| Inadequate surgery or biopsy (n = 1) | 0% (0) | 100% (1) | 0% (0) | 1% (1) |
| Negligent postoperative management (n = 1) | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | 100% (1) | 1% (1) |
| Excessive or inappropriate surgery (n = 1) | 0% (0) | 0% (0) | 100% (1) | 1% (1) |