Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths for both men and women combined.
Risk factors of colon cancer include:
Colorectal cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer that typically develops as pre-cancerous polyps in the lining of the colon. If the polyps are allowed to continue to grow and are not removed by either a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy some may become malignant (i.e., turn into colon cancer). Because colorectal cancer may become incurable once the disease has metastasized or spread outside the intestine, it is important for doctors to use early detection measures. Colorectal cancer misdiagnosis happens when there are clear signs that should have been detected by your medical professional, yet for some reason have gone unnoticed and untreated.
Common colorectal cancer symptoms include:
However, colorectal cancer, especially in its early stages, often has no symptoms.
Contact our Colorectal Caner Misdiagnosis Attorneys at Frischman & Rizza for a free case evaluation.
(412) 291-9377
There are many reasons GI doctors and other health providers fail to properly diagnose colorectal cancer. These include:
Most cases of colon or rectal cancer are diagnosed in patients ages 55 to 84. Almost all colon cancers (95%) are adenocarcinomas. The balance of colon cancers include carcinoid tumors, lymphomas, melanomas, leiomyosarcomas or gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
The American Society (ACS) recently released an updated guideline for colorectal cancer screening (/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/acs-recommendations.html). Among the major guideline changes, the new recommendations begin screening at age 45 (as opposed to age 50) for people at average risk for developing colorectal cancer.
For people of average risk, the ACS lowered the age to start screening after analyzing data from a major analysis led by ACS researchers (/latest-news/study-finds/sharp-rise-in-colon-cancer-and-rectal-cancer-rates-among-young-adults.html). This analysis revealed that new cases of colorectal cancer are occurring at an increasingly alarming rate among younger adults. After reviewing this data, experts on the ACS Guideline Development Committee concluded that a beginning screening age of 45 of adults of average risk for developing colorectal cancer will result in more lives saved.
Several test options are available for colorectal cancer screening:
The guidelines stress that these screening tests must be repeated at regular intervals to be effective. And, if you choose to be screened with a test other than colonoscopy, any abnormal test result must be followed up with a timely colonoscopy to complete the screening process.
The guidelines also say that people at higher than average risk might need to start colorectal cancer screening before age 45, be screened more often, and/or get specific tests. People at higher or increased risk are those with:
7300 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Phone: (412) 291-9377
201 Basin St Unit #8, Williamsport, PA 17701
Phone: (570) 605-4126
