Family Compensated $2.5 Million For Death Of 27 Year Old Woman After Physician Did Not Diagnose Her Cancer
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-09-02 11:05:58 | Word Count: 532
It is estimated that less than 1% of those diagnosed with colon cancer are below the age of 35. Yet, given the lethal nature of the disease physicians usually agree that the presence of rectal bleeding, even in an individual under 35, should be investigated by a colonoscopy in order to determine whether the bleeding from cancer.. Just supposing that the blood is the result of hemorrhoids may constitute malpractice.
Take, for example, what took place in a documented lawsuit involving a woman who told her primary care physician that she saw blood in her stool and felt pain as she had bowel movements. She was just 24 years old. The doctor, justwithout even conducting an examination, prescribed a laxative after deciding that she had diarrhea and other bowel problems. She returned four months later claiming she had constipation, pain and problems sitting. On this occasion the doctor finally examined her but assured her she had hemorrhoids. His treatment: an enema. She went back to the doctor 2 more times and each time was reassured that she only had hemorrhoids and she had nothing to be concerned with.
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She needed to be rushed to an emergency room because of extreme pain seven months subsequent to her initial trip to the family physician. They set her up for a colonoscopy at which time she was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer. The woman underwent surgery (which due to the how far the cancer had advanced required not only taking out part of her colon, it also required removal of her uterus and a portion of the lower intestines). This was followed by chemotherapy. The cancer came back and she died in under three years. Her husband and minor daughter survived her.
The law firm that handled this lawsuit published that the case went to trail and the jury awarded the family a sum of $2.5 million. The amount included $350,000 the largest amount allowed for pain and suffering under the law of the State where the doctor practices. The rest of the amount was for future lost wages. This claim is just one example of what is perhaps the most common medical error concerning the delayed diagnosis of colon cancer.
Too often doctors do not do a colonoscopy or refer the individual to a specialist when a patient complains of rectal bleeding or blood in the stool. Instead, these physicians merely assume that the symptom is the result of hemorrhoids. This is especially typical when the patient is less than 50 years old.
When a matter like that described above happens and the patient dies for the reason that the cancer spread to where it was no longer curable due to the delay in diagnosis the surviving family may be able to bring a claim against the physician responsible for the delay.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting cancer cases. You can learn more about cases involving advanced colon cancer and breast cancer by visiting the websites
