Colon Cancer Patients May Not Be Receiving Proper Care

Only 38 Percent of Hospitals Follow National Guidelines

Patients with colon cancer may not be receiving adequate follow-up after surgery, putting them at risk for continued illness. According to a new study, only 38 percent of approximately 1,300 hospitals adhere to national guidelines with respect to follow-up treatment for patients with colon cancer. That means that nearly two thirds of hospitals fail to properly monitor their patients for signs that the disease has spread or relapsed.

The national guidelines state that once colon cancer is removed, patients should have at least 12 lymph nodes checked for signs of potential disease. If these lymph nodes are not checked, and disease not detected, then patients are not able to receive treatment that may save their lives. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death, killing nearly 50,000 Americans every year.

This latest study was done by researchers at Northwestern University and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

SEPT-10-08: Few hospitals meet colon cancer care standard [MSNBC: HOSPITAL FAILING IN COLON CANCER CARE]

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Published on Sep-10-08