Colorectal carcinoma, commonly referred to as colon or rectal cancer, is the second leading cause of cancer-related fatality in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 150,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2006 and over 50,000 will perish as a result of the disease. Although these statistics are grim, there are approximately one million colon cancer survivors in the US right now. The medical community hopes this number will continue to rise, but the key to colon cancer survival rests largely upon when the cancer is diagnosed.
Early Detection is Key to Survival
With early detection, colon cancer can be treated with a five-year survival rate of 90%. Since it can take up to 15 years for abnormal cells or polyps in the colon to develop into cancer, it is reasonable to think that most cases could be avoided. Unfortunately only 39% of colon cancers are diagnosed before the cancer spreads into other nearby organs and lymph nodes. When this happens, the 5-year survival rate drops to 68%. If the cancer goes undetected until it spreads to organs as far away as the lungs or liver, the 5-year survival rate drops to a mere 10%.
The low detection rate can be attributed to two factors. The first is that most diagnosed patients did not actively visit the doctor for routine check-ups and screenings, like colonoscopies. The second reason is that physicians aren’t having their at-risk patients screened for the cancer as often as necessary, or are not connecting patients’ complaints of colon cancer symptoms to the disease. If this occurs, a medical malpractice suit may be filed against the responsible doctor.
Disease Screening and Symptoms to Watch For
The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women over 50 follow the testing guidelines below:
- Once every year: patients should have a fecal occult blood test and digital rectal exam
- Once every five years: patients should have a flexible sigmoidoscopy, OR
- Once every 10 years: patients should have a colonoscopy, OR
- Once every five to 10 years: patient should have a double contrast barium enema
If any of these tests come back with abnormal results, it is the physician’s responsibility to conduct an ultrasound or surgical biopsy in order to conclusively diagnose colon cancer, or rule it out.
In addition to these tests and screenings for the disease, it important to immediately notify your physician if you have been experiencing any of the tell tale symptoms. These include bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, noticeable changes in bowel movements, abdominal discomfort, chronic fatigue or constipation and unexplained weight loss. All of these symptoms could indicate that colon cancer or a pre-cancerous polyp is present and your doctor should order tests immediately. Since some colon cancers do not produce any symptoms, the best line of defense is to undergo the recommended screenings.
Are You a Victim of Malpractice?
According to the Institute of Medicine, between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths occur each year due to medical errors. If you are over 50 and are questioning whether your physician failed to diagnose your colon cancer, ask yourself if he or she failed to do any of the following:
- Perform yearly digital rectal exam
- Identify a cancerous polyp during a digital rectal exam
- Perform a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy during the recommend time intervals
- Order testing when you described symptoms caused by colon cancer
- Correctly interpret the results of a biopsy
- React quickly to biopsy results with the appropriate treatments
If your doctor failed to diagnose your colon cancer for any of the reasons listed above, you should seek the advice of legal representation immediately. An attorney who specializes in ‘failure to diagnose’ medical malpracticelawsuits can examine the details of your case, determine if your doctor acted negligently and decide whether there is enough evidence to pursue a lawsuit.
Even if there is adequate evidence, it is often difficult to prosecute medical malpractice cases. This is for a variety of reasons, including that hospitals can afford to hire the best defense attorneys available, and medical records and witnesses for the prosecution can be difficult to secure. If it can be proven that your doctor did act negligently, you are eligible to sue for damages. The damages include reimbursement for current and future medical bills, current and future lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering.
If you or someone you know has been injured due to a failure to diagnose cancer, please feel free to contact a personal injury lawyer such as Fuller and Fuller, Attorneys at Law in Washington and Oregon.
