Colorectal Cancer Attorney
Colorectal
cancer is the third most
common type of cancer among
Americans. Though it is
anticipated that nearly
a quarter of a million
Americans will be diagnosed
with it this year, it is
a disease that is still
not often discussed openly.
That is why it is so important
to contact a Colorectal
Cancer Attorney or Colorectal
Cancer Lawyer without delay.
The statistics are even
more alarming given the
fact that it is one of
the most easily treatable
forms of cancer if caught
early, as it should be
when doctors use proper
screening and follow-up
tests.
Are you seeking
the help from Colorectal
Cancer Attorney? Contact
our New York Colorectal Cancer
Attorney for a free consolation
today!
Yet
despite its prevalence
and the ready availability
of diagnostic tools, it
is one of the most common
types of cancers in which
patients receive misdiagnoses
and delayed diagnoses,
many times costing them
their lives. Contacting
an experienced Law Firm
can help you find out where
the doctors or hospital
went wrong. If you or a
loved one has received
misdiagnosis and delayed
diagnosis you should contact
a law firm immediately.
Colorectal cancer often develops
slowly over a period of years,
with most beginning as a
polyp, which is a tumor or
growth of tissue, in the
colon or rectum. The cancer
stems from a type of polyp
known as adenoma, which can
develop into a form of cancer
known as adenocarcinoma and
accounts for over 95 percent
of the cases. Screening can
lead to finding and removing
polyps early, before they
turn into cancer. There are
some other, more rare types
of colorectal tumors in addition
to adenocarcinoma, which
begin in different areas
of the colon and rectum,
and may cause different symptoms.
The area of the rectum, along
with any of the four sections
of the colon, may be the
site of the adenocarcinoma's
origin. The cancer can begin
in the inner layer, but may
later metastasize (spread)
to some of the other layers.
The location helps indicate
the stage of the cancer.
Failure to conduct appropriate
diagnostic tests, especially
in light of symptoms, along
with failure to make a timely
diagnosis, are suggestive
of medical malpractice. We
can help you determine if
this occurred in your situation.
As cancers of the colon and
rectum develop slowly, doctors
have years to screen for
polyps and prevent cancer
from developing. If you feel
that your doctor has failed
to conduct appropriate diagnostic
tests and failed to make
a timely diagnosis, you should
contact us to find out what
your options are as far as
implementing a malpractice
lawsuit. The initial consultation
with a our law firm is free,
and encouraged to ensure
that all your rights are
protected.
Are you seeking
the help from Colorectal
Cancer Attorney? Contact
our New York Colorectal Cancer
Attorney for a free consolation
today!
The
following are symptoms
that might indicate colorectal
cancer:
- A change in bowel habits
- Stools that are narrower
than normal
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Vomiting
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unexplained anemia
- Constant fatigue
- Blood in the stool
- A feeling that the bowel
does not empty completely
- General abdominal discomfort
such as gas, bloating,
fullness and cramps
While the treatments for colon
and rectal cancer differ, the
screening tests for the diseases
are the same. The American
Cancer Society recommends that
people age 50 and above, as
well as those at high risk,
be regularly screened. Those
at an increased risk include
people with a history of inflammatory
bowel disease, those with a
family and/or personal history
of colorectal cancer or polyps,
and those having familial adeniomatous
polyposis, a rare disease where
a person may have 1,000 or
more polyps. We can help you
understand these screening
tests. The Screening tests,
which may be performed alone,
or in combination, include:
- Digital rectal examination
(annual) An in-office examination
where the physician inserts
a gloved and lubricated
digit into the patient's
rectum to feel for abnormalities.
- Stool Blood Test: fecal
occult blood test (FOBT)
or the fecal immunochemical
test (FIT) (annual) These
test for trace amounts
of blood in the stool.
If the test comes back
positive, further tests
should be done to identify
the cause of bleeding.
The FIT may be easier to
perform than the FOBT and
may give fewer false positive
results.
- Double-contrast barium
enema (every 5 to 10 years)
The barium-enema procedure
is performed by using a
chalky substance to partly
fill and open up the colon.
Then air is pumped in,
causing the colon to expand,
enabling good x-ray films
to be taken. The night
before, as well as the
morning of the procedure,
a person undergoing it
will need to have an enema.
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy
(every 5 years) This procedure
involves insertion of a
slender, lighted tube,
known as a signmoidoscope,
into the lower part of
the colon through the rectum,
allowing the doctor to
examine the inside of the
rectum and part of the
colon for cancer or polyps.
However, because the sigmoidoscope
is only two feet long,
the physician can only
view approximately half
of the colon. The patient
will need to have an enema
before undergoing the procedure
in order to clean out the
lower colon. This test
can sometimes be uncomfortable.
- Total colonoscopy (every
10 years) A colonoscopy
can also be an uncomfortable
procedure, which is why
patients will typically
be given intravenous medication
to relax them. However,
it is also the best way
to detect colon and rectal
cancers. A colonoscope,
which is a longer version
of the sigmoidoscope, is
inserted into the colon
through the rectum. If
the physician discovers
a polyp, it will likely
be removed and if anything
else looks abnormal, a
biopsy may be performed.
A biopsy would involve
removing a small piece
of tissue through the colonoscope,
which would then be sent
to a laboratory to test
for cancer.
This
screening requires doctors
to properly investigate
symptoms of the disease
including signs of a drop
in blood count and anemia,
complete diagnostic testing
and investigation following
complaints of rectal bleeding.
We can guide you this area
and look to see if the
appropriate tests were
performed. Doctors are
sometimes too quick to
find an answer for the
cause of rectal bleeding,
leading to delayed diagnosis
of cancer in some patients.
Are you seeking
the help from Colorectal
Cancer Attorney? Contact
our New York Colorectal Cancer
Attorney for a free consolation
today!
If
you have colon or rectal
cancer and believe that
your doctors ignored your
complaints, failed to follow
up on obvious symptoms,
or delayed in diagnosing
your condition we can help.
To
get more information on symptoms,
diagnostic methods, treatments,
physicians and hospitals, please go
to our links page.
Read
article on Negligence
of Residents in Hospitals
Michael
Gunzburg is a New York
Colorectal Cancer Attorney
serving the New York Metropolitan
area, including New
York City, Bronx, Brooklyn,
Manhattan, Queens, Staten
Island, Nassau, Suffolk,
Westchester, Rockland and
Orange County.
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