Every year over 148,000 men and women are diagnosed with cancer of the colon. Each year more than fifty five thousand men and women die from the disease. If diagnosed early cancer of the colon is for the most part considered curable. If caught early enough the cancer can be removed during a colonoscopy while it is still a mere polyp.
Even with the many attempts to educate the public regarding screening for colon cancer many people still do not undergo screening procedures, such as a colonoscopy. Sometimes people refuse to undergo the procedure when their physician recommends it. But there are still times when physicians who do not refer their patients for screening. This sometimes happens even though the patient has symptoms. Without performing any tests, these doctors sometimes tell their patients that the are only the result of hemorrhoids.
Should the physicians do this and the patient is later found to have advanced colon cancer that physicians may be liable for medical malpractice. Yet, every year approximately 37 percent (or roughly 54,750 people) are diagnosed with colon cancer that has already spread to at least one of the lymph nodes, and nineteen percent (approximately twenty eight thousand people) are already at stage 4 of the disease when they are first diagnosed. A diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer results a reduced likelihood of a cure.
If you or a member of your family have been diagnosed with metastatic cancer of the colon and you believe that the diagnosis was delayed due to a physician’s failure to recommend colon cancer screening or failed to follow up on complaints of colon cancer symptoms a cancer attorney can help you figure out if there may be a medical malpractice claim. In certain circumstances a wrongful death lawyer may be able to help the family.This entry is meant for information purposes only and not as medical or legal advice. Always consult with a physician for any questions regarding medical matters and before taking any medical advice.