Gastroenterology Expert Discusses Critical Delay in Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis

Case Overview

This case involves an elderly female patient in Wyoming who developed pancreatic cancer following an alleged delay in it’s diagnosis. The patient first presented to her primary care doctor with complaints of stomach pain, nausea, and cramps. She was treated conservatively at first with medication, however over the next month her condition continued to deteriorate. She eventually developed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea and was referred out to a gastroenterologist for further treatment and examination. The gastroenterologist performed an endoscopy as well as a colonoscopy, however no suspicious findings were disclosed. Nevertheless, her symptoms persisted and she started to lose weight. She continued on for further evaluation and treatment, however she was turned away. It was eventually discovered that she had developed spindle cell carcinoma of the pancreas which had spread to her lungs, allegedly while she continued to seek treatment.