Legal Nurse Consultants Informative in the Colorectal Cancer Lawsuit
In colorectal cancer abnormal cells in the colon or rectum divide forming a malignant tumor. Most begin as a polyp, a growth in tissue lining the surface of the colon or rectum. Polyps are common over 50, and most are not cancer. A certain type, adenoma, has a higher risk. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States after lung cancer.
Colorectal Cancer Statistics
In 2016, an estimated 134,490 people in the United States will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and 49,190 people will die from it. Rates of new colorectal cancer cases and deaths among adults 50 or older are decreasing in this country due to an increase in screening and to changes some risk factors (for example, a decline in smoking).
However, incidence is increasing among younger adults for reasons that are not known. According to the National Cancer Institute, researchers predict that by 2030 colon cancer incidence rates will increase by 90% for people 20 to 34 and by 28% for people 35 to 49, whereas they will decrease by 38% for people 50 to 74 and by 45% for 75 or older.
During a sigmoidoscopy, the rectum and sigmoid colon are examined using flexible lighted tube with a lens for viewing and a tool for removing tissue. This is inserted through the anus into the rectum and sigmoid colon. Air is pumped into the colon to expand it so the doctor can see the colon lining more clearly. During sigmoidoscopy, abnormal growths in the rectum and sigmoid colon can be removed for analysis.
During a colonoscopy, the rectum and entire colon are examined. Abnormal growths in the upper parts of the colon that are not reached by sigmoidoscopy can be removed. A biopsy or polypectomy may be performed during these tests to determine whether cancer is present.
If you find this newsletter helpful, please share it with colleagues, or direct them to our website.