Patients May Have A Claim For Medical Malpractice On Account Of Physician’s Failure To Diagnose Colon Cancer

Delayed diagnosis cases often occur within the context of cancer. Take for example advanced colon cancer.  A common issue that a cancer lawyer is often consulted on deals with to physicians dismissing patient complaints of blood in the stool as nothing more than hemorrhoids without ever doing any testing.  Among the other most often seen delayed diagnosis scenarios involve advanced breast cancer, advanced prostate cancer and advanced colon cancer.  Let’s, however, for now just consider colon cancer.

Generally, physicians recommend that in case a patient complains of blood in the stool that a colonoscopy is called for to ascertain whether 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 consequence of colon cancer or something else such as hemorrhoids.  But solely supposing that the blood is caused by hemorrhoids, while not performing appropriate tests, risks not finding a cancer.

If appropriate tests (such as a colonoscopy) are performed promptly after the patient first complains of symptoms consistent with colon cancer it is possible that the cancer will be found before it reaches an advanced stage.  Early diagnosis oftentimes means that the cancer can be removed surgically (or possibly even during a colonoscopy) and the patient may not need to have chemotherapy.  Early diagnosis also frequently means that the patient has a much better likelihood of surviving the cancer.  Thus a delay in detecting the cancer and treating the patient that is lengthy enough to allow the cancer to reach an advanced stage will require that the patient undergo additional or further treatments and significantly lowers the likelihood that the patient will survive the cancer.If enough  time goes by before the patient is diagnosed the cancer will advanced to a late stage.  When the cancer reaches a late stage the patient has fewer treatment options and is more likely to die as a result of cancer.

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 merely as general information relating to some varieties of potential medical malpractice cases and not as legal or medical advice.  You need to consult with a physician concerning any medical concerns or medical advice.