Not Adhering To The Applicable Screening Recommendations Might End In A Delayed Cancer Diagnosis And A Medica Malpracice Claim

A cancer attorney frequently is approached about what are regularly known as delayed diagnosis matters.  Such claims happen because a doctor fails to correctly identify a patient’s cancer either because the physician disregards the person’s symptoms or fails to adhere to appropriate screening recommendations.  The primary cancers with which failure to screen lawsuits present themselves are: (a) colon, (b) breast, (c) prostate, and (d) cervical.  Screening tests exist for these cancers to, often, discover the cancer prior to the person exhibiting symptoms.

Consider, for example, colon cancer.  There are various tests that can be carried out to detect the presence of cancer in the colon when it is in the early stages, often even before the cells turn cancerous.  The Fecal Blood Occult Test (FBOT) and sigmoidoscopies are often used in conjunction with one another by visually examining the sigmoid section of the colon and checking for the presence of blood in the stool.  The colonoscopy is a test that permits a physician to work with a flexible scope with a camera in the front to visually examine the entire length of the colon .  Without a family history of colon cancer or the person having symptoms, physicians normally recommend that screening start as soon as the patient turns 50.  The concept is an attempt to detect the cancer when it is still in the early highly treatable stages and prior to it spreading and becoming advanced colon cancer.

One more example is prostate cancer.  The 2 main tests used for screening are the physical examination of the gland and the PSA blood test.  A physical examination of the gland could reveal the presence of any abnormalities that might be a result of cancer.  The blood test checks the levels of an antigen known to become elevated when a man has prostate cancer.  Given that other factors might also cause the antigen to register at elevated levels, doctors commonly advise that a biopsy be done if the test comes back high confirm or eliminate the possibility of cancer.  This is done to diagnose the cancer before it spreads outside of the gland becoming in some circumstances metastatic prostate cancer.

The information in this article is intended for general informational uses only.  It is not intended as, nor should it be taken to be, medical or legal advise.  For any health or medical concerns consult a physician right away.  And if you suspect you might have a medical malpractice claim consult an attorney immediately as the law limits the amount of time within which you can pursue a lawsuit.

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