New Colon Cancer Screening Guidelines: 45 Is The New 50

New Screening Guidelines for Colorectal Cancer

The American Cancer Society and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) in May of this year updated the guidelines for colon cancer screenings recommending that all men and women (with average risk of colon cancer) begin screening at age 45 (instead of 50), using tests such as:

• Colonoscopy
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy
• CT colonography
• Stool test
• As well as other colon cancer tests.

According to the American Cancer Society, colon cancer, or colorectal cancer, is the third most frequently diagnosed cancer in the U.S. and the second leading cause of cancer death

Source: American Cancer Society

The rates of the incidence of colon cancer and death from colon cancer have declined in recent years due to increased use of colon cancer screenings to detect and remove precancerous polyps. That's the good news. 

The bad news: While the overall incidence of the disease is down, the rates of colon cancer in younger populations is increasing. Colorectal cancer is predicted to become the top leading cause of cancer death in people aged 20 to 49 by the year 2030, according to reporting by Good Morning America.

Colorectal Cancer and Black Americans

Black Americans are at an even greater risk for colon cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, and reported in STAT News,

"Black men are 24% more likely to develop the disease and 47% more likely to die from it than white men. Black women are 19% more likely than their white counterparts to develop it and have a 34% higher rate of dying from it."

Colon Cancer Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

When a physician fails to screen for colon cancer based on symptoms, or fails to screen for colon cancer based on recommended guidelines, and there is a delay in the diagnosis of colon cancer, the patient may have a medical malpractice claim. Investigating the circumstances surrounding a delay in the diagnosis of colorectal cancer should be conducted by attorneys experienced in colon cancer cases. 

Some our firm's recent medical malpractice settlements related to colo-rectal cancer lawsuits include:

• Rectal Cancer Diagnosis Delay: $1.25 Million Settlement
• Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuro-endocrine Colon Cancer: $850,000 Settlement
• Delay in Diagnosis of Colon Cancer Leading To Death: $1 Million Settlement

Questions?

If you believe you or a loved one was not provided the proper care and/or cancer screening related to a colon cancer diagnosis, please contact our law firm to request a free case evaluation. 

Our attorneys and staff nurses are available to review your case. No fee. No obligation.

Learn more on our Colon Cancer Information Page.

We represent individuals and families in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com - Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law

Know The Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

While the American Cancer Society does not recommend screening for persons of average risk of lung cancer, it does recommend screening for those who are at high risk of lung cancer due to cigarette smoking.

Lung cancer screening consists of a low-dose CT scan of the chest, and it is covered by Medicare and most health plans if you are at high risk.

How is risk determined?

Take the quick quiz at SavedByTheScan.org. If you are at risk for lung cancer, talk to your doctor or a health care provider about starting an annual screening.

Did you know? Screening for lung cancer is recommended and covered by Medicare and most healthcare plans for those at high risk.
Take the quiz to see if you are high risk at https://t.co/yeVAMWeAmI #Getscreened #LungCancerAwarenessMonth https://t.co/DZHKisYdOE

— Lubin & Meyer PC (@LubinandMeyer) November 8, 2017

As stated on the American Cancer Society website:

“Medicare covers lung cancer screening with a low dose CT scan once per year if you have Medicare, are 55-77 years old, have a tobacco smoking history of at least 30 pack years*, and you either continue to smoke or you have quit smoking within the last 15 years. You must get a written order from your doctor or other health care provider. Coverage also includes a visit with your doctor (or other health provider) for counseling and shared decision-making on the benefits and risks of lung cancer screening. The scan can only be done at imaging centers that meet certain criteria."

According to the American Lung Association, it is estimated that less the 5% of Americans at high risk have been screened.

Learn more facts about lung cancer in the video below:

For more information, go to: American Lung Association website at lung.org and the American Cancer Society website at cancer.org.

Questions about your lung cancer diagnosis?

If you have questions about your medical care or screening related to lung cancer symptoms and diagnosis, please feel free to contact our medical malpractice attorneys licensed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com
Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law

Have Prostate Screening Guidelines Put African-American Men At Risk?

A recent prostate cancer study which found a 72% increase in advanced (metastatic) cancers in a decade has drawn renewed attention to prostate screening guidelines.

The PSA test, the best tool in diagnosing prostate cancer, also can create false-positives or detect cancers that are not life-threatening and for which treatment may cause undesired outcomes.

More on the prostate screening problem from @NYTimes: "Prostate Cancer Isn’t Colorblind" https://t.co/HgQ0RNyG5h

— Lubin & Meyer PC (@LubinandMeyer) July 27, 2016

According to an op-ed in the New York Times, most medical guidelines recommend men weigh the benefits and limitations of PSA screening. However, in 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer.

The op-ed reported:

"The government guidelines stunned doctors who recognize the greater dangers of prostate cancer in African-American men. Many believe that the disadvantages of routine PSA screening are outweighed when it comes to high-risk populations, and they worry that the guidelines will lead to less screening for men who might benefit the most from it. Their concerns have been borne out: Recent studies note a decrease in PSA screening for all populations, including African-American men."

The American Cancer Society recommends men discuss the risks and benefits of PSA tests with their doctors — starting at age 45 for black men or younger for men with family history of prostate cancer.

The op-ed authors recommend:

"The discussion should acknowledge that African-American men are at a higher risk of developing and dying from prostate cancer, that they have an increased risk for aggressive disease at diagnosis, that there are significant advancements in the detection and staging of prostate cancer, that the PSA test is just one of many available to help make an educated decision, and that the importance of seeking high-quality cancer care with supportive services and clinical trial opportunities are paramount."

Read the full article: Prostate Cancer Isn’t Colorblind
Authors: Lannis Hall, Arnold D. Bullock, Angela L. Brown, Graham Colditz

We encourage all men to discuss prostate screening with their doctors.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com - Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law

As Prostate Cancer Screenings Have Decreased; Advanced Cancers Have Skyrocketed

Study shows 72% increase in metastatic prostate cancer cases in the past decade

A dramatic rise in advanced prostate cancer has been reported by a Northwestern Medical study published in Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases, July 19, 2016, a Nature journal.

The study shows a 72% increase in new cases of metastatic prostate cancer in the past decade from 2004 to 2013. The study discusses two possible causes for the increase — a recent trend of fewer men being screened and that the disease has become more aggressive.

“One hypothesis is the disease has become more aggressive, regardless of the change in screening,” said senior study author Dr. Edward Schaeffer, chair of urology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Medicine. “The other idea is since screening guidelines have become more lax, when men do get diagnosed, it’s at a more advanced stage of disease. Probably both are true. We don’t know for sure but this is the focus of our current work.“

“The results indicate that screening guidelines and treatment need to be refined based on individual patient risk factors and genetics,” said lead author Dr. Adam Weiner, a Feinberg urology resident. “This may help prevent the growing occurrence of metastatic prostate cancer and potential deaths associated with the disease. This also can help minimize overdiagnosing and overtreating men with low-risk prostate cancer who do not need treatment.”

“Prostate cancer is 100 percent treatable if detected early, but some men are more likely to develop aggressive disease that will recur, progress and metastasize,” said Dr. Jonathan W. Simons, president and CEO of the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

“Not all men with prostate cancer need immediate surgery or radiation. But every case needs precision prostate cancer care. We urgently need smarter and more targeted cancer screening, so we don't leave men at highest cancer risk unprotected from early, curable disease being missed and turning into incurable disease,” said Simons.

Link to the study:  Increasing incidence of metastatic prostate cancer in the United States (2004–2013)

Northwestern News Service: Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cases Skyrocket

Failure to Screen for Prostate Cancer

Did your doctor fail to screen or fail to offer you screening or delay in the diagnosis of your prostate cancer?

Our attorneys are licensed and practicing in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Lubin & Meyer has successfully represented many clients whose prostate cancer has gone undiagnosed, most recently obtaining a $2.84M verdict for Failure to Screen for Prostate Cancer.

View our main website at LubinandMeyer.com
Lubin & Meyer PC - New England's Leader in Medical Malpractice and Personal Injury Law