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A Diagnosis Of Colon Cancer Metastasis Might Lead To A Malpractice Lawsuit Against Responsible Doctor
If the disease is detected as a small polyp in the course of a routine screening test, such as a colonoscopy, the polyp might be able to be removed in the course of the colonoscopy without the need for the surgical removal of any portion of the colon. Once the polyp grows to the point where it becomes cancerous and gets to Stage I or Stage II, the tumor and a portion of the colon on both sides is surgical removed. The likelihood that the individual will survive the cancer is over ninety percent for Stage 1 and 73% for Stage II. If the disease gets to a Stage III, a colon resection is not enough and the person also needs to undergo chemotherapy. At this stage the likelihood that the patient will still be alive more than five years after the diagnosis drops to fifty three percent, depending on such variables as the quantity of lymph nodes that contain cancer. By the time the colon cancer reaches Stage 4, treatment may require the use of chemotherapy and perhaps other drugs and even surgery on various organs. Should the measurement and number of tumors in other organs (for example, the liver and lungs) are small enough, surgery to remove the cancer from those other organs might be the initial treatment, followed by chemotherapy. Sometimes the dimensions or number of tumors in the different organs removes the option of surgery as part of the treatment. If chemotherapy and additional drugs are able to lower the quantity and dimensions of these tumors, surgery might at that point turn out to be an option as the second form of treatment. If not, chemotherapy and other drugs (perhaps from clinical trials) may temporarily halt or reduce the further spread of the cancer. The relative 5-year survival rate is reduced to around eight percent. As the relative 5-year survival rates show, the time frame in which the colon cancer is detected and treated results in a significant difference. If discovered and treated early, the patient has an excellent chance of surviving the disease. When diagnosis and treatment is delayed, the odds begin turning from the person so that if the cancer gets to the lymph nodes, the percentage is almost even. And the probability drops precipitously once the cancer reaches Stage IV. But, too frequently physicians fail to suggest standard cancer testing to men and women who do not display any symptoms. When the cancer is ultimately found - many times due to the fact that the tumor has become so large that it is leading to blockage, since the individual is anemic and it is getting progressively worse, or since the individual begins to detect other indications - the cancer has already reached a Stage 3 or even a Stage 4. The patient now confronts a much different outlook than he or she would have if the cancer had been detected early through standard screening tests. Attorneys who handle cancer cases often classify this as a “loss of chance” of a better recovery. That is to say, because the doctor failed to recommend that the person undergo routine screening test, the cancer is now considerably more advanced and the individual has a much reduced chance of surviving the cancer. The failure of a doctor to recommend the patient undergo screening options for colon cancer may constitute medical malpractice. You need to contact a lawyer immediately should you feel your colon cancer was not diagnosed until it had already reached an advanced stage because of a doctor’s not suggesting routine colon cancer screening. T his article is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered legal (or medical) advice. For any health concerns, contact a physician. Should you think you might have a medical malpractice case consult with a lawyer immediately. A competent attorney experienced in handling cancer claims can assist determine whether you have a claim for a delay in the diagnosis of colon cancer due to a failure on the part of a doctor to recommend colon cancer screening. The law limits the amount of time you have to pursue a case so call a lawyer immediately. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Joseph Hernandez is an attorney accepting cancer cases. To learn more about advanced colon cancer and other cancer cases including metastasized breast cancer cases visit the webistes |
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