Patient: "Doctor, I'm seeing blood in my stool when I go towards the bathroom."
Physician: "Don't be concerned about it, you possibly just have hemorrhoids."
Tragically, a year or two later this patient learns that the bleeding was truly brought on by a cancerous tumor inside the colon. He or she now has advanced colon cancer that has spread towards the lymph nodes or even to a distant organ, like the liver or the lungs.
Doctors usually advocate that if an individual has rectal bleeding or blood within the stool, testing need to be carried out to rule out the possibility of cancer within the colon. The test which is most generally performed to rule out cancer is named a colonoscopy, which entails the use of a flexible tube having a camera on the finish to visualize the inside with the colon. If growths (polyps or tumors) are identified, they are able to be sampled (by biopsy) and possibly removed throughout the process. The samples (biopsies) are then examined for the presence of cancer. If no cancer is located, then it can typically be ruled out as a source with the blood. Sadly, all too generally, an individual's physician will merely attribute the blood to hemorrhoids with no referring the individual to a specialist (a gastroenterologist) and with no ordering any testing, like a colonoscopy, to rule out cancer.
Colon cancer is often a illness that progresses more than time. As the cancer advances it becomes much more hard to treat effectively. By way of example, when the illness is in stage 1 or stage two, it's nonetheless contained inside the wall with the colon. Remedy for these stages typically entails surgery to get rid of the tumor and surrounding parts with the colon. Chemotherapy is frequently not typically component with the remedy of stage 1 and stage two cancer within the colon unless it truly is given to an individual who's young as a preventative measure. With remedy, the individual with stage 1 or stage two cancer within the colon has an exceptional likelihood of surviving the illness for a minimum of 5 years following diagnosis. The relative 5-year survival rate is more than 90% for stage 1 and 73% for stage two.
By the time the colon cancer progresses to stage three, it has spread outside the colon and remedy calls for each surgery and chemotherapy (possibly with other cancer affecting drugs also). The relative 5-year survival rate for stage three colon cancer is 53%. If the cancer progress to stage four, the relative 5-year survival rate is decreased to roughly 8%. Remedies like surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, along with other medicines may possibly or may possibly not nonetheless be powerful. When remedy is no longer successful, the illness is fatal. Roughly 48,000 folks will die within the U.S. from colon cancer this year alone.
It really is as a result vital that cancer inside the colon be diagnosed as early as achievable. Regrettably, all too generally doctors merely assume that blood inside the stool or rectal bleeding could be the result of hemorrhoids, even soon after several complaints by the patient. As opposed to referring the patient to a specialist (a gastroenterologist) or ordering tests, for instance a colonoscopy, to rule out cancer, they tell the patient that there is certainly absolutely nothing to be concerned about. If the patient did have colon cancer and it isn't detected until 1 or two years later, it may well progress to a stage three or perhaps a stage four by the time of diagnosis.
At this point, the cancer might be considerably far more advanced than it was in the time the patient complained of rectal bleeding or blood inside the stool. Consequently, the patient now has a a lot decreased likelihood of surviving the cancer. Below such circumstances, the failure of a physician to rule out cancer inside the colon in the time with the patient's complaints may well constitute a departure from the accepted normal of medical care resulting in a medical malpractice claim.
Get in touch with a Lawyer Right now
You must get in touch with a lawyer instantly in the event you or perhaps a family members member have been diagnosed with advanced colon cancer immediately after getting complaints of rectal bleeding or blood within the stool ignored by a physician. This post is for informational purposes only and isn't intended to be legal (or medical) guidance.
You must not act, or refrain from acting, based upon any info at this net web page with out searching for expert legal counsel. A competent lawyer with knowledge in medical malpractice can help you in determining regardless of whether you could have a claim for the delay inside the diagnosis with the cancer. There's a time limit in circumstances like these so don't wait to call.
Physician: "Don't be concerned about it, you possibly just have hemorrhoids."
Tragically, a year or two later this patient learns that the bleeding was truly brought on by a cancerous tumor inside the colon. He or she now has advanced colon cancer that has spread towards the lymph nodes or even to a distant organ, like the liver or the lungs.
Doctors usually advocate that if an individual has rectal bleeding or blood within the stool, testing need to be carried out to rule out the possibility of cancer within the colon. The test which is most generally performed to rule out cancer is named a colonoscopy, which entails the use of a flexible tube having a camera on the finish to visualize the inside with the colon. If growths (polyps or tumors) are identified, they are able to be sampled (by biopsy) and possibly removed throughout the process. The samples (biopsies) are then examined for the presence of cancer. If no cancer is located, then it can typically be ruled out as a source with the blood. Sadly, all too generally, an individual's physician will merely attribute the blood to hemorrhoids with no referring the individual to a specialist (a gastroenterologist) and with no ordering any testing, like a colonoscopy, to rule out cancer.
Colon cancer is often a illness that progresses more than time. As the cancer advances it becomes much more hard to treat effectively. By way of example, when the illness is in stage 1 or stage two, it's nonetheless contained inside the wall with the colon. Remedy for these stages typically entails surgery to get rid of the tumor and surrounding parts with the colon. Chemotherapy is frequently not typically component with the remedy of stage 1 and stage two cancer within the colon unless it truly is given to an individual who's young as a preventative measure. With remedy, the individual with stage 1 or stage two cancer within the colon has an exceptional likelihood of surviving the illness for a minimum of 5 years following diagnosis. The relative 5-year survival rate is more than 90% for stage 1 and 73% for stage two.
By the time the colon cancer progresses to stage three, it has spread outside the colon and remedy calls for each surgery and chemotherapy (possibly with other cancer affecting drugs also). The relative 5-year survival rate for stage three colon cancer is 53%. If the cancer progress to stage four, the relative 5-year survival rate is decreased to roughly 8%. Remedies like surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, along with other medicines may possibly or may possibly not nonetheless be powerful. When remedy is no longer successful, the illness is fatal. Roughly 48,000 folks will die within the U.S. from colon cancer this year alone.
It really is as a result vital that cancer inside the colon be diagnosed as early as achievable. Regrettably, all too generally doctors merely assume that blood inside the stool or rectal bleeding could be the result of hemorrhoids, even soon after several complaints by the patient. As opposed to referring the patient to a specialist (a gastroenterologist) or ordering tests, for instance a colonoscopy, to rule out cancer, they tell the patient that there is certainly absolutely nothing to be concerned about. If the patient did have colon cancer and it isn't detected until 1 or two years later, it may well progress to a stage three or perhaps a stage four by the time of diagnosis.
At this point, the cancer might be considerably far more advanced than it was in the time the patient complained of rectal bleeding or blood inside the stool. Consequently, the patient now has a a lot decreased likelihood of surviving the cancer. Below such circumstances, the failure of a physician to rule out cancer inside the colon in the time with the patient's complaints may well constitute a departure from the accepted normal of medical care resulting in a medical malpractice claim.
Get in touch with a Lawyer Right now
You must get in touch with a lawyer instantly in the event you or perhaps a family members member have been diagnosed with advanced colon cancer immediately after getting complaints of rectal bleeding or blood within the stool ignored by a physician. This post is for informational purposes only and isn't intended to be legal (or medical) guidance.
You must not act, or refrain from acting, based upon any info at this net web page with out searching for expert legal counsel. A competent lawyer with knowledge in medical malpractice can help you in determining regardless of whether you could have a claim for the delay inside the diagnosis with the cancer. There's a time limit in circumstances like these so don't wait to call.