Diagnosed With Advanced Colon Cancer? Did Your Doctor Fail To Timely Diagnose You?
Among the varieties of claims litigated by a cancer lawyer are ones that deal with colon cancer. Among the issues that most commonly come up result from a doctor having reassured a patient that the blood they became aware of in their stool was due simply to hemorrhoids when in fact the patient actually has colon cancer. Some of the other most frequently seen delayed diagnosis scenarios involve advanced breast cancer, advanced prostate cancer and advanced colon cancer. Let’s, however, maintain focus on colon cancer.
A pattern that occurs much too often involves a doctor informing a patient with complaints of blood in the stool that the patient just has hemorrhoids and there is nothing to fret about. But, the blood later turns out to have been caused by colon cancer all along. What legal options does the patient have under these circumstances?
Generally, physicians suggest that if a patient present with blood in the stool that a colonoscopy is appropriate to ascertain if the patient has colon cancer or the blood is caused by something else. The colonoscopy is a procedure that helps determine whether the blood is the result of colon cancer or something else such as hemorrhoids. While blood in the stool is much more likely to result from something other than colon cancer not performing proper tests puts the patient at risk of having cancer that will continue to grow and spread every day it is not found.
If appropriate tests (such as a colonoscopy) are performed as soon as the patient exhibits symptoms consistent with colon cancer it may be possible to find the cancer before it reaches an advanced stage. Early diagnosis commonly means that the cancer can be removed surgically (or maybe even wtih a colonoscopy) and the patient may not need to have chemotherapy. Early diagnosis also generally means that there is a much lessened chance that the patient will die from the cancer. If the patient actually has cancer then not not informing the patient that the blood may be due to cancer the doctor effectively impedes the diagnosis. The delay can cause the advancement of the cancer to an advanced stage. At this time, there are fewer treatment options and a much lower probability of survival.
Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction where the physician caused the delay, this might give rise to a claim for which a medical malpractice lawyer or in the most extreme case, a wrongful death attorney may be able to help you!. Clearly, the above is meant simply as general information relating to certain types of potential medical malpractice claims and not as legal or medical advice. You should consult with a physician regarding any medical issues or medical advice.
