Last updated on April 23rd, 2024 at 12:14 pm
Nikki Yavari
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
Bowel cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. It can occur at any age, but more frequently it is people over 60 who are affected.
The symptoms of bowel cancer can include abdominal pain, bloating, blood in stools, anaemia and a change in bowel habit.
Early diagnosis of bowel cancer can mean less aggressive treatment
Some people suffer other symptoms such as weight loss and tiredness and some may notice pain in the back passage or in their abdomen.
Of course, some people suffer with similar symptoms in any event due to conditions like irritable bowel syndrome or haemorrhoids. There may well be a benign cause for the symptoms, however, it is recommended that you see your GP if you suffer with any of these symptoms.
Bowel Cancer is usually treated with surgery, either keyhole or open, with or without chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The type of treatment depends on the stage of the cancer but the patient should be consulted and have a choice about the type of treatment they receive.
Whilst it is often treatable, the diagnosis itself can have a huge impact on a patient’s quality of life. An earlier diagnosis can reduce the type of treatment required. A delay in diagnosis can make the condition more difficult to treat.
Compensation claim for delayed diagnosis of bowel cancer
The clinical negligence team has dealt with a number of cases of a delay in diagnosis of bowel cancer, some of which were caused by the GP’s failure to investigate or refer the patient for further investigations. In other cases, the hospital failed to adequately investigate the cause of the symptoms or missed a tumour that should have been identified on radiological imaging.
If you believe you have suffered a delay in diagnosis of your bowel cancer as a result of substandard care by your GP or treating clinicians, then please do not hesitate to contact our clinical negligence team. We will arrange a free of charge meeting in which we can discuss your case in confidence
Further information about bowel cancer can be found at:
Failure to diagnose or misdiagnosis of cancer
Bowel cancer and its treatment
Author: Nikki Yavari, medical negligence solicitor
