Colon cancer misdiagnosis claims

As one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, prompt diagnosis of colon cancer is crucial to ensure effective treatment. Unfortunately NHS services do not always identify the condition as quickly as they should, but where a patient falls victim to misdiagnosis of colon cancer, they may be entitled to claim compensation.

Claiming compensation for colon cancer misdiagnosis?

Where it can be established that the medical professionals responsible for your care did not follow correct medical procedure or take all necessary steps to ensure patient wellbeing, you may be entitled to make a cancer misdiagnosis claim. Your case will be considered according to whether the misdiagnosis has affected the progression of your cancer, as well as the additional suffering you’ve been forced to endure as a result.

During the course of caring for prospective patients, medical staff have been known to fail to meet expected standards in a number of ways, all of which may contribute to a delayed diagnosis of colon cancer. Key symptoms of the condition may be missed, or the tests required in order to detect them have been delayed or simply not been recommended, or the necessary referral made. Alternatively, despite the initial testing phase being carried out satisfactorily, specialist referral and further investigation might have in turn been delayed or not performed. In many cases, medical staff do pick up on the symptoms associated with colon cancer, but mistake the patient’s condition for another, less serious ailment, potentially providing grounds for a misdiagnosis claim.

If you think a failure on the part of doctors is to blame for your colon cancer misdiagnosis, it’s important that you contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor promptly for advice on making a claim. Speak to an expert with experience in dealing with misdiagnosis of colon cancer cases today by calling Blackwater Law on 0800 083 5500.

Specialist misdiagnosis solicitors

Blackwater Law medical negligence solicitors are recognised as specialist medical negligence lawyers by the Legal 500 – an independent directory of the UK’s leading law firms. You can therefore be certain that when you contact Blackwater Law for advice in relation to a potential claim for colon cancer misdiagnosis, you will receive expert guidance and some of the best advice available to you.

The impact of colon cancer misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis of colon cancer can have a devastating impact on your prognosis. Where the condition is recognised early on and effective treatment implemented, 90% of victims survive for an additional 5 years, with a significant chance of making a full recovery. However, where diagnosis is delayed, 5-year survival rates can fall to 6%, with almost no chance of recovery.

The risks surrounding colon cancer in the UK

Colon cancer is the result of cells dividing and multiplying rapidly (and incorrectly), a process that usually begins in the large bowel. Whilst there is no way of knowing for sure exactly who will develop the condition and when, some demographics are at greater risk than others, with lifestyle choices playing a role as well.

• 90% of cases occur in people aged over 60; people in this age group should be particularly vigilant to potential symptoms.
• Those who eat a large volume of red or processed meat in their diet, especially when not eating enough fibre, elevate their risk of contracting the condition.
• Living a sedentary lifestyle with little to no exercise can also elevate your risk.
• If you are overweight, drink heavily and / or smoke, you are again at greater risk.
• Patients with a family member who in the past contracted the condition before the age of 50 are in turn at greater risk – in fact your GP should offer you screening should this be the case.
• If you have suffered from a condition such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease for a period of 10 years or longer, your risk of colon cancer is higher.

Effective Treatment

Should you be diagnosed with colon cancer your treatment path will be determined by a team of specialist cancer doctors and nurses, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and radiographers.

Depending on just how aggressive your cancer is deemed to be and the effect it is having on your health, treatment can consist of any, or a mix of the following:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiotherapy
• Biological therapy

Regardless of the path your treatment takes, a delayed diagnosis of colon cancer may adversely affect your chances of successful treatment. Whilst surgery remains the preferred course for tackling the condition, delays in identifying it can mean it is no longer an option, and the side effects associated with more aggressive methods must be endured. This can mean greater suffering, a potentially reduced chance of treatment being effective and a longer recovery period with the increased financial expense and uncertainty that this brings. All of these factors may be considered as part of a potential claim for misdiagnosis of cancer compensation.