title: Head and neck, oral, and oropharyngeal cancer: a review of medicolegal cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to review cases of malpractice in head and neck cancer (HNC) in order to examine allegations and outcomes of the litigation and to assess the implications for best practices in the clinical care of patients with HNC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three U.S. legal databases were accessed to assess the basis of the cases and the outcomes reported.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dental and medical health care providers are identified in cases with alleged failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis. In addition, inadequate prevention and management of oral complications of cancer therapy also may result in medicolegal action. In the dental cases, the mean recovery was $1,033,500.11, and in medical cases, it was $2,828,639.20.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to failure in the diagnosis of malignant disease, our review identified failure to properly prevent and manage oral complications as potential causes of medicolegal actions. Evidence-based care with a multidisciplinary team may promote diagnosis of disease and prevention and management of complications.
authors.affiliation: Collaborative Member, Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA; and Consultant, Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California, USA. Electronic address: jepstein@coh.org.
authors.forename: Joel B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Epstein
authors.affiliation: Reminger Co., L.P.A., Columbus, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Robert V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Kish
authors.affiliation: DDS Candidate, UCSF School of Dentistry, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hallajian
authors.affiliation: Professor (Ret.), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Milton J.Dance Head & Neck Center, The Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sciubba
mesh_terms: D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008318:Malpractice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*