Men and women with a family background of colon cancer and individuals who have symptoms are at increased risk of developing colon cancer. When an individual both has a family history and in addition has symptoms for instance blood in the stool, doctors generally agree that a colonoscopy is needed so as to establish whether the individual has colon cancer or exclude it. Ordinarily, physicians recommend that even those who are not at increased risk nevertheless undergo screening starting at age fifty. Screening is often done by the use of a colonoscopy.
But for the results of a colonoscopy to be reliable it must be complete. It must examine the whole span of the colon. When obstructions or poor preparation yield incomplete visualization of areas of the colon, the patient should be informed and the physician should recommend to the person that the colonoscopy should be done again or a different option, like a virtual colonoscopy, be considered. A failure to do so might lead to an overlooked tumor which may grow and progress to an advanced stage before it is diagnosed.
This is what happened in a documented claim involving a 44 year old woman who died from metastatic colon cancer. Consider her medical history. The woman had a family history of colon cancer. The woman had three colonoscopies over 6 years. During that period, she informed the physician that she suffered rectal bleeding and abdominal pain numerous times. At least one time the woman's blood tests further showed that she had anemia. All three are possible symptoms of colon cancer.
The notes from two of the colonoscopies showed that there was incomplete visualization of the ascending colon and cecum as it was not possible to take the scope beyond the transverse colon. Nonetheless, the doctor who conducted the 3 colonoscopies and followed the woman throughout this period continued indicating to the woman that her symptoms were on account of hemorrhoids.
The Patient was eventually diagnosed with colon cancer when her tumor was discovered while she was undergoing exploratory surgery to figure out the reson for her symptoms. A significant fraction of her intestines was extracted as a consequence of cancer. Chemotherapy followed but the woman ultimately passed away from the cancer. Due to the physician's failure to follow up on her symptoms in light of 2 incomplete colonoscopies the woman’s family pursued a malpractice case. The law firm that represented the family in this matter was able to report that they acheived a settlement of $875,000 for the family.
Doctors employ diagnostic tests as a way to discover or rule out particular diseases. For instance, the colonoscopy is used to search for or rule out colon cancer however the result of the test is only as good as the reliability with which the test was carried out. A colonoscopy uses a scope to see the interior of the colon in order to ascertain if there are any polyps or tumors in the colon{.|
}In the event that the complete colon is not visualized, as in the case above, a doctor should not depend on it to exclude cancer. When the patient does have cancer this could lead to a delay in diagnosis that allows the cancer time to grow and advance to an uncurable stage. In a situation like that the physician who relied on such a partial outcome may be liable under a medical malpractice claim.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting medical malpractice cases. To learn more about colon cancer netastasis cases request a free consultation with a lawyer with experience handling cancer malpractice lawsuit at the website
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