Misdiagnosed colon cancer

Introduction

As it can happen with any disease even the colon cancer can be misdiagnosed. There are people who could have been diagnosed with this horrible disease on time and receive the proper treatment. Even those who were misdiagnosed in the beginning and then the colon cancer has been established in the later stages are damaged and can feel betrayed.Misdiagnosis of Colon Cancer

All the people should be aware of the symptoms of the disease especially those whose relatives (particularly parents) have had the disease. This way the patient can notice early signs of the disease and come to doctor on time. Once the patient has come to see the doctor and to express certain medical complaints the doctor is due to do everything possible to set the correct diagnosis, to do it timely and to suggest the proper therapeutic regimes.

People who are at higher risk for this type of cancer should go to regular check-ups. Their doctor is due to conduct specific examination in order to detect the cancer in early stage of the disease. Colonoscopy should be performed and any suspicious polyp has to be removed and pathologically examined. These people can be timely diagnosed and definitely cured. There are additional medical conditions of the colon that can be potential for the growth of colon cancer. They include polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, and so on.

For all the others who have not had anybody in the family suffering from this deadly disease symptoms are the cornerstone of the timely set up of the diagnosis. If a patient notices change in passage of the stool, if there is blood in stool or he/ she suffers from abdominal pain they are supposed to visit their doctors as soon as possible. Any symptom can be important. Only the doctor will say after the thorough examination if the symptoms are related to cancer or some other medical condition.

If the colon cancer is found on time the surgical approach does not have to be as extensive as it is in later stages of the disease. This way the complications in case of early detection of the disease are less likely to occur comparing to the advanced stages of colon cancer.

The postponing of the diagnosis carries an increased risk of metastases in distant organs. This means that the disease can spread and cannot be controlled any more as it could have been if the doctor had found colon cancer on time.

The doctors who have misdiagnosed colon cancer need to take full responsibility for their mistake. On the other hand some patients tend to wait even though they are aware of certain symptoms and signs and in this case the very patient is responsible for his/ her health.