Delayed diagnosis cases often come up within the context of cancer. Take for example advanced colon cancer. A frequently seen issue that a lawyer handling cancer malpractice cases is often consulted on deals with to doctors dismissing patient complaints of blood in the stool as nothing more than hemorrhoids without ever doing any testing. Some of the other most frequently seen delayed diagnosis situations involve advanced breast cancer, advanced prostate cancer and advanced colon cancer. Let’s, however, maintain focus on colon cancer.
A pattern that goes on much too commonly involves a physician informing a patient who has complaints of blood in the stool that the patient merely suffers from hemorrhoids and there is nothing to be concerned about. But, the blood is really caused by colon cancer all along. What legal options does the patient have under these circumstances?
The first thing to notice is that most physicians acknowledge that when a patient presents with rectal bleeding or blood in the stool a colonoscopy needs to be performed to figure out the cause of the blood. The colonoscopy is a procedure that helps determine whether the blood is the result of colon cancer or something else such as hemorrhoids. Even though blood in the stool is much more likely to result from something other than colon cancer not performing appropriate tests puts the patient at risk of having cancer that will continue to grow and spread every day it is not diagnosed.
If appropriate tests (such as a colonoscopy) are performed when the patient first show symptoms consistent with colon cancer it is possible that the cancer will be found while it is still in the early stage. Early detection more often than not means that the cancer can be removed surgically (or maybe even wtih a colonoscopy) and the patient may not require chemotherapy. Early detection also usually means that there is a much lower possibility that the patient will die from the cancer. Thus a delay in detecting the cancer and treating the patient that is long enough to allow the cancer make it to an advanced stage will require that the patient go through additional or further treatments and markedly lowers the probability 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 due to cancer.
To figure out whether you may have a medical malpractice claim against a physician or other health care provider please consult a medical negligence attorney. The above is meant neither as medical advice nor legal advice. Please consult with a physician concerning any health issues and before taking any medical advice. Please consult a lawyer with regards to any potential legal claim.