Oftentimes a cancer lawyer is approached by a prospective client who starts out by saying something similar to, “My doctor kept telling me I just had hemorrhoids and now I have metastatic colon cancer.” Some of the other most often seen delayed diagnosis cases involve advanced breast cancer, advanced prostate cancer and advanced colon cancer. Let’s, however, for now just consider colon cancer.
First it is important to realize is that most physicians are in agreement that when a patient presents with rectal bleeding or blood in the stool a colonoscopy needs to be completed in order to determine the cause of the blood. The colonoscopy is a procedure that helps determine whether the blood is the consequence of colon cancer or something else such as hemorrhoids. While blood in the stool is statistically likely to be from something other than colon cancer not performing the right tests places the patient at risk of having cancer that will continue to grow and spread every day it is not found.
If appropriate tests (such as a colonoscopy) are performed as soon as the patient exhibits symptoms consistent with colon cancer it may be possible to find the cancer while it is still in the early stage. Early detection commonly means that the cancer can be removed surgically (or possibly even during a colonoscopy) and the patient may not have to have chemotherapy. Early detection also frequently means that there is a much reduced chance that the patient will die from the cancer. Thus a postponement 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 markedly decreases the chance that the patient will survive the cancer. time goes by before the patient is diagnosed the cancer will advanced to a late stage. Once the cancer reaches a late stage the patient has reduced treatment options and is more likely to die as a result of cancer.
Based on the laws of the jurisdiction where the physician was responsible for the delay, this might give rise to a claim for which a medical malpractice lawyer or in the most extreme case, a wrongful death lawyer may be able to help you!. Obviously, the above is meant only as basic information about selected varieties of potential medical malpractice claims and not as legal or medical advice. You ought to consult with a doctor regarding any medical concerns or medical advice.