Failure to Diagnose Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is the common name for colorectal carcinoma. It involves the large intestine and ranks second to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. Approximately 130,000 Americans are diagnosed with colon cancer, and 56,000 die from it.

Colon cancer starts in lesions in the large intestine's inner wall when they undergo a malignant transformation. Once a cancer, it grows through the intestinal wall and spreads to adjacent lymph nodes. From there it propagates to other organs, especially the liver. At this point, it becomes essentially incurable.

But since it can take up to several years, up to 15 years or more, for the abnormal polyps in the large intestine to develop into cancer, many of these cases could be avoided. As with many other cancers, the key to survival is early detection. One reason for the low detection rate is that many people don't get routine physicals, and those who do, rarely request a colonoscopy. Another reason is that at-risk patients are not screened for the cancer as often as they should, or physicians are not attributing colon cancer symptoms to the disease. When the latter happens, the responsible physician may be negligent.

Bleeding from the rectum
Blood in the stool
Changes in bowel movements
Abdominal discomfort
Chronic fatigue
Constipation
Unexplained weight loss

If you experience any of the symptoms above, then you should notify your physician immediately.

But even if you do not experience any of these symptoms, you should regularly have tests and screenings done. The American Cancer Society (ACS) currently recommends that people over the age of 50 get annual digital rectal exams and fecal occult blood tests. Additionally, those in this age group should either get a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or a colonoscopy or double contrast barium enema every ten years.

Medical malpractice for a failure to diagnose colon cancer claim may arise if your doctor:

fails to follow ACS screening guidelines
did not detect a cancerous polyp during a digital rectal exam
Failed to order testing when you described a symptom of colon cancer
Incorrectly interpreted the results of a biopsy
Did not react quickly with treatment after abnormal test results

If you or a loved one contracted colon cancer and you suspect that it could have been detected or acted on sooner, then you should contact our injury attorneys. Medical malpractice lawsuits are difficult to prosecute. Consider a lawyer who has handled medical malpractice claims, like David Hughes Harris, who has represented patients, as well as doctors and hospitals, in medical malpractice actions.