Colon cancer is the second most common type of cancer, ranking only behind lung cancer. It is also a relatively easy cancer to detect, and with early detection comes early intervention and treatment and increased chances of survival. Some of the theories of medical malpractices involving a failure to diagnose colon cancer might include:
Failure to refer for proper diagnostic testing – Everyone over the age of 50 should be referred for diagnostic testing every 5 years, more often for persons with a family history of colon cancer. Also, people showing signs and symptoms of colon cancer such as changes in bowel movement habits, bleeding, or weakness should also be referred for testing. The most definitive type of diagnostic testing is the colonoscopy which allows the surgeon to visualize cancerous growth and precancerous growths and to remove the polyps for microspcopic analysis by a pathologist.
Failure to recognize cancer – the cancerous growths from colon cancer can be removed and analyzed for definitive diagnosis of colon cancer. If the diagnosis is missed, so is the chance for early treatment and increased chances of survival of the colon cancer.
