Bowel Cancer Awareness Month: Support For Bowel Cancer Patients & Families
Nick O’Neill, Director in the Medical Negligence team at JCP Solicitors, explains how a Solicitor can help you through a bowel cancer misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis.
This April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, led by Bowel Cancer UK, aiming to raise awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer to support early diagnosis.
Over 94% of new cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, but bowel cancer does not discriminate when it comes to age. More than 2,600 new cases are diagnosed in people under the age of 50 every year, with 1 in 17 men and 1 in 20 women diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.
Bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early, however this drops significantly as the disease develops or if it is misdiagnosed. That is why it is vital to know the signs, and to seek expert legal advice if you have faced delayed or misdiagnosis as you may be entitled to compensation.
What is Cancer Misdiagnosis?
Misdiagnosis of cancer occurs when a medical professional makes the wrong cancer diagnosis. This could mean that they diagnose cancer symptoms as another condition, or they may miss the symptoms entirely.
Symptoms can include:
- Bleeding from your rear
- Blood in your excrement
- A change in your bowel movements (more or less frequent than usual)
- Constant fatigue
- A pain or lump in your stomach
If these symptoms occur you should make an appointment with your GP, where they should listen to your symptoms, provide a screening test, and then refer you to a hospital where you will undergo treatment if necessary.
However, cancer symptoms often resemble a number of other conditions and some are more difficult to spot. This means that medical professionals can, and do, get it wrong.
This is extremely serious, as it means that there will have been a delay in potentially life-saving treatment.
What To Do If Your Bowel Cancer Has Been Misdiagnosed
If a medical professional has not diagnosed cancer within a reasonable timeframe and has provided care that falls below an acceptable standard, this may constitute medical negligence.
Having an experienced team of Medical Negligence Solicitors assess your potential claim is crucial to determining whether any harm or loss has been suffered — that is where JCP Solicitors can support you.
How JCP Solicitors Can Help
At JCP Solicitors, we have extensive expertise in handling claims related to the misdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis of cancer. We understand the emotional turmoil a misdiagnosis can cause, and we offer sensitive, compassionate and tailored advice to manage every aspect of your medical negligence compensation claim. We know every case is different, and we see the individual behind the case.
Whenever possible, we support you to resolve cases amicably out of court, helping you to avoid the stress of a trial. However, if court proceedings become necessary, we can advise you on how best to secure a successful outcome based on your individual circumstances.
Contact our cancer claims Solicitors today by calling 03333 209244 or emailing hello@jcpsolicitors.co.uk.