Colon Cancer Misdiagnosis: Contributing to the 3rd Leading Cause of Death

Colon cancer, a cancerous growth that occurs in the colon area – which is the rectum and even the appendix – is the third leading cause of death of cancer in the United States at this time. In fact, over 50,000 people die per year of colorectal cancer – a term which is used interchangeably with colon cancer. Survivability rates are high if diagnosed in time. Unfortunately, colon cancer misdiagnosis occurs far too often.

Misdiagnosis of Colon Cancer / Failure to Detect Colon Cancer

Misdiagnosis of colon cancer, or failure to detect colon cancer, is a big issue because if it’s caught early enough, the recovery rates or survivability rates are quite high. While colon cancer is typically very slow-growing, the problem becomes identifying the cancerous lesions early enough so that the proper treatment can be ascertained.

Obviously, someone will and can survive from it, but if detected late in the process, then the results can be catastrophic. Colon cancer misdiagnosis lawyers say that this often happens to people in their 40's and 50's – and that colonoscopies aren't always performed as part of a routine physical examination.

Two Reasons to Have a Colonoscopy

There are two reasons for a doctor to recommend a colonoscopy – age and family history.

• Age. There’s a dispute in the medical literature these days in terms of whether the proper detection technique, such as a colonoscopy, should be done automatically every three years at age 40 or begin at age 50. That dispute makes looking at someone's family history even more important.
• Family history. Typically what happens is these tests need to be accomplished when someone has a family history of colon cancer and if they have the signs and symptoms that may be associated with it such as bloody stool, pain, inflammation and things of that nature. Unfortunately, physicians oftentimes take for granted that it’s just something that is going to pass, but they can be signs of someone suffering from the early stages of colorectal cancer.

Do Doctors Have a Responsibility to Check for Colon Cancer?

What responsibility or obligation does a doctor have to request that a colonoscopy be done if there are signs of possibly injury? That's a question many people suffering from colon cancer whose doctor failed to request a colonoscopy want to know.

According to colon cancer misdiagnosis lawyers, what a doctor should do is monitor the person closely when symptoms appear or the person has a family history. You can do some blood tests, initially, that help to detect whether or not it’s cancer – but they’re not completely perfect in terms of detecting the problem.

The doctor should then follow up with that person every couple of months. If the symptoms persist, then you must have the person go for a colonoscopy as that is the “gold standard” for evaluating the colon and rectum for problems including this type of cancer.

Undergoing a colonoscopy is a process that can be accomplished in a matter of 20 minutes. It’s a small process. Most of the time people are not under any general anesthesia – only lightly sedated. The process can be accomplished outside of the hospital as well – such as in a physician’s office.

Colon Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawsuits

If you developed colon cancer that your doctor misdiagnosed or failed to diagnose at all, contact an experienced colon cancer misdiagnosis lawyer today to discuss your situation, evaluate your legal options and determine what types of compensation you might be entitled to before deciding whether or not to file a colon cancer misdiagnosis lawsuit.