Doctors Consent ToSettle Case In The Sum Of $825,000 With Family Of Patient Who Passed Away Colon Cancer Metastasis
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-11-11 01:33:48 | Word Count: 636
It is very difficult things for people to understand is the idea that several doctors could, over a period of several years, misdiagnose a family member's cancer. It is even harder to see how specialists can not discover the cancer. But this does happen. See, for example, the following reported lawsuit.
The patient, a husband and father of three children, started seeing the defendant doctor when he was 48 years old. Ten years later the doctor performed a sigmoidoscopy on the man and made an entry in his records documenting that he found a ridge which was bleeding. As a consequence of this finding, the physician referred the man to a second physician who in turn also performed a sigmoidoscopy. This doctor also found the ridge and biopsied it. After 7 months this second physician did a full colonoscopy which uncovered a polyploid ring measuring roughly two centimeters. A part of this polyp was removed and cauterized. Several specimens of the polyp were taken. A biopsy of the specimens revealed atypical cells and concluded that it was unclear ?f the entire polyp had been taken out. The next year this second physician did a barium enema. The physician noted the results as normal aside from minor diverticulosis. The physician recommended that the patient return for a follow-up colonoscopy in three years. The doctor failed to make any other recommendations.
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After another 2 years the man went to see a different doctor and requested another sigmoidoscopy. This third doctor documented inflammation and bleeding. Unfortunately, this physician did not biopsy the region or do any additional evaluation or treatment of the inflamed spot. Rather, this physician recommended that the patient get another sigmoidoscopy in a few years.
After still another year, the patient went back to third physician. During this visit the man told the physician that he noticed rectal bleeding. The doctor performed a rectal examination accompanied by an anoscopy however he did no further evaluation even after the patient again complained of rectal bleeding some months later that same year. After still another year, the man complained of a few weeks of constipation and abdominal pain. The physician prescribed a dietary supplement and stool softener for the symptoms yet performed no more evaluations to figure out the reason for these changes. Just a brief time later the patient felt extreme abdominal pain and went to the emergency room where it was determined that he had blockage. Biopsies of the rectum area were suggestive of cancer. The man underwent a further sigmoidoscopy a month later which found cancer.
Because of the size and location of the cancer the man was started on chemotherapy and radiation therapy before getting surgery. Once in surgery his rectum was removed and several tumors were discovered in his liver. Over time, the liver tumors grew and there was further metastasis to his lungs. The man ultimately passed away from the cancer.
The law firm that handled the resulting lawsuit recorded that the the family was able to recover $825,000 in a settlement with the doctors. This case is an example of the value of close monitoring of patients with a history of symptoms and the importance of properly diagnosing the reason for those symptoms. Since cancer can spread and in time become incurable if its diagnosis is held up, treatment and an accurate and early diagnosis is crucial. Anything else may lead to a tragic result.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting wrongful death cases. For more information on colon cancer metastasis and other cancer matters including stage four breast cancer by visiting the website
