Pills to Stop Pancreatic Cancer Patients Starving are Not Being Prescribed
The only known cure for Pancreatic Cancer is to have the cancer removed via surgery; knowing this, it is a shock to learn that diagnosis most often occurs at an advanced stage of the disease, when the tumour can no longer be operated on, as a result of the late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer that can lead to a compensation claim for medical negligence. This is apparent when learning the prognosis statistics of the disease; potentially due to medical negligence.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the cancers with the poorest prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of just 5%. Delays in pancreatic cancer diagnosis may cause additional suffering and poor outcomes.
Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT)
A recent study conducted by the University of Birmingham has found that almost 50% of people diagnosed with inoperable Pancreatic Cancer are not being prescribed essential pills. Without them, patients are unable to digest and break down foods due to the cancer stopping enzyme production in the pancreas.
As Pancreatic Cancer grows, it stops the pancreas from producing the enzymes needed to digest food and absorb nutrients. The Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) tablets are therefore necessary to keep patients eating, in order to stay strong enough to tolerate the treatment and endure the symptoms.
If you believe you should have been prescribed with a suitable PERT pill or that there has been a unreasonable delay in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer please contact us via the link below.
Contact: Contact Us | Hutcheon Law
The Study:
The University of Birmingham audited 1,350 Pancreatic Cancer patients between April and August of 2018. They found that of the patients who had been diagnosed and too late of a stage to have surgery (the only cure for the disease), just 45% of them were diagnosed with PERT. In comparison, of those whose cancer was found at an early enough stage in order to have surgery, 74% of patients were prescribed with PERT.
This shows medical negligence in terms of late diagnosis and missed treatments which are causing thousands of Pancreatic Cancer patients to further suffer without the ability to have the pills which prevent them from starving to death. If you believe you have suffered from Medical Negligence, get in touch with Leading Medical Negligence Solicitors now via the link below.
See: Contact Us | Hutcheon Law
Approximately 9,900 people are diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer each year in the UK, unfortunately 80% of those 9,900 are diagnosed at too late of a stage to have surgery, showing a huge problem in terms of late diagnosis’ of pancreatic cancer patients; read more about this topic in our article posted below. The late diagnosis’ can be a result of vague symptoms, some of those include:
- – Back pain
- – Indigestion
- – Constant Burping
Due to the late diagnosis’ Pancreatic Cancer has the lowers survival rate of all the 20 most common cancer types, with around 5% of people being diagnosed with the disease surviving for over five years.
The cost of PERT per day, per patient is £7. Extremely cheap considering the dramatic effect it has on Pancreatic Cancer patients.
Read: *Insert Pancreatic Cancer Blog*
How PERT Links to Medical Negligence
A late diagnosis of pancreatic cancer that can lead to a compensation claim for medical negligence. Medical Negligence is the substandard care carried out by a medical professional (either by the NHS or private health care) that has directly lead to the patients suffering in terms of directly causing an injury, or causing a pre-existing one to worsen.
Due to Pancreatic Cancer being diagnosed at such a late stage, to the point where survival rates are below 5% of over 5 years; it’s a shock to learn that medication which can drastically improve the lives of Pancreatic Cancer patients is not being prescribed. This is Medical Negligence.
There is already Medical Negligence in the terms of late diagnoses and misdiagnoses of Pancreatic Cancer, not taking into account the fact that PERT tablets are not being prescribed. If you believe this is you, you may be entitled to make a claim for compensation.
To read our article on Medical Negligence, as well as Contacting Leading Liverpool Medical Negligence Solicitors, click the link below:
See: – Medical Negligence
Contact: Contact Us | Hutcheon Law
How Can I Make A Claim?
If you received a misdiagnosis or delayed cancer diagnosis, you should be able to claim for medical negligence. For more information on who can claim see our specialist website: dependency claims, who can claim.
When a loved one has died due to misdiagnosis of cancer, it’s possible to recover compensation on their behalf. You may be able to claim if you are the spouse or child of the deceased, or if you’re the parent of a child. Often there is a three-year time limit after the date of the death to make a claim so you must provide your solicitor with instructions quickly. The three year period may be extended. However, the sooner a claim is made the better.
In any case, a delay to cancer treatment often means the disease could spread further, reducing the chance of survival. If you can prove your delayed cancer diagnosis was caused by medical negligence, then you may have a claim.
If you think you are eligible for a Clinical Negligence Claim. Call On: 0151 724 7121. Or, get in contact via our
Website: Contact Us | Hutcheon Law
See: Claims | Hutcheon Law
Also Read: – The 5 Most Common Misdiagnosed Cancer Claims – Hutcheon Law
Lung Cancer Compensation can also be a type of asbestos related condition. Further reading see Mesothelioma compensation after death.
