The need to screen even symptomatic patients for colon cancer when they are 50 years of age or older and to screen patients with certain symptoms, such as blood in the stool, is generally accepted within the medical community. Failure to do so can delay the diagnosis of colon cancer, which in turn can allow the cancer to spread. Next, we examine a documented case involving a woman over the age of 50 whose doctors not only failed to assess her when she had symptoms, but continued to fail to assess her even after she developed a series of symptoms.
In this case, the woman saw her primary care physician from age 50 to 55. During that time her medical history included obesity, a hernia, and hypertension. Your doctor, however, never performed or recommended that you get screened for colon cancer.
When he was 55 years old, he experienced vomiting and diarrhea with clearly visible blood in his stool. He went to the emergency room where the treating doctor diagnosed him with gastroenteritis. She followed up with a doctor a few days later. This doctor took note of the fact that he now had up to three bowel movements a day, all of which contained blood. The doctor recommended a wait and see approach and thought he would need a lower GI endoscopy if his condition did not improve. The doctor’s differential diagnosis was colitis. Apparently, the doctor never considered colon cancer as part of the differential diagnosis. A year later, he saw this doctor again complaining of abdominal problems and at least 50 pounds of unexplained weight loss. The doctor concluded that his weight loss was the result of a change in his diet and, although he had a history of blood in his stool, the doctor again did not order or perform any tests to rule out colon cancer.
A month later, the woman returns to the hospital with complaints of abdominal pain and ongoing diarrhea. Also, there was now blood present when he vomited. His stool was now a dark brown color and tests revealed blood present in his stool. The ER doctor diagnosed him with a gastrointestinal bleeding. The doctor then ordered an X-ray that revealed a partial bowel obstruction. Then the doctor admitted her to the hospital. Blood tests revealed that his CEA, a marker for colon cancer, was abnormally high.
Initially, a gastroenterologist performed an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and took several biopsies. However, the gastroenterologist failed to achieve a colonoscopy. It wasn’t until a hospital GP noticed that her history suggested cancer and that additional tests were required that a sigmoidoscopy was finally done about 2 weeks later. Sigmoidoscopy revealed a large obstruction and a follow-up CT scan showed a large tumor. During the surgery it was discovered that her cancer had already spread to both the uterus and the bladder. In addition, the pathology report of the material removed during surgery found cancer in 13 lymph nodes. The diagnosis: stage IV colon cancer.
She began chemotherapy treatment and after experiencing chemotherapy intolerance along with intestinal obstructions and even kidney failure, the woman died less than a year later. He was only 58 years old at the time of his death. She was married and had two grown children. His family filed a lawsuit against the doctors for the delay in the diagnosis of his cancer. The law firm that handled this lawsuit documented a settlement in the case for $ 950,000 on behalf of the family.
