Hospitals Fail To Properly Treat Colon Cancer Patients

Washington (dbTechno) - According to a new study published in the journal Cancer, many hospitals across the U.S. are not properly treating colon cancer patients, and are not following-up over the long-term.

Many colon cancer patients are reportedly not being screened following surgery, putting them at risk for future health problems.

The study focused on 4,426 older colon cancer patients, to see how their treatment was carried out.

What researchers from the University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio found, was that only 40% of these colon cancer patients received the proper treatment.

That means that 60% of them did not receive all of the doctors visits, tests, etc.

The patients in the study were tracked for a 3-year period, beginning six months after their surgery.

The recommended treatment plan was to have at least two doctors visits per year, two blood tests per year, and a colonoscopy within the first three years.

The study has been published in the Monday issue of the journal Cancer.