Bowel Cancer Claims

However, it is vital that these symptoms are recognised and investigated by doctors. Early diagnosis often means that the cancer can be successfully treated.

Symptoms of bowel cancer can include blood in stools, a change in bowel habits, weight loss, bloating and anaemia causing fatigue. In order to make a diagnosis then an examination of the bowel is required – a sigmoidoscopy looks at the lower bowel and a colonoscopy looks at the upper bowel. There are other tests that may be carried out such as a barium enema which is essentially an x-ray that can detect changes or abnormalities in the colon.

Errors in diagnosis can result from a GP not recognising potential signs of bowel cancer and therefore not making an appropriate referral, or if test results are not correctly interpreted or followed up. If bowel cancer is not detected it can spread to other organs. Sometimes, bowel cancer can be misdiagnosed as another condition with some similar symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Home screening tests are available on the NHS for those in certain age brackets. Screening helps to diagnose cancers early. It is vital that all test results are accurately interpreted and acted upon.

To bring a claim for a delay in diagnosis of bowel cancer it will need to be shown that the delay was negligent and that this impacted on the outcome i.e. the cancer was diagnosed at a later stage than it should have been and will require more intensive treatment or that life expectancy has been impacted. Short delays may not be sufficient to show that the outcome was affected.