Rectal Cancer Patient Dies From Sepsis

Case Overview

This case involves a fifty-two-year-old female that was diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer. Approximately one year after her diagnosis, the patient began to experience blood in her stool, along with painful bowel movements. The patient was sent for a colonoscopy, and the consulting physician believed there was a mass causing extrinsic pressure on the rectum with resultant obstruction. The physician also performed a biopsy of the ulcerated mass that seemed to be eroding into the anterior rectal wall. Several weeks after the colonoscopy and biopsy procedure, the patient presented back to the hospital with extreme abdominal pain. She was found to have a perforated colon that required emergency surgery with the placement of an end colostomy. The patient never recovered due to a severely infected peritoneum that spread from the bowel leak. She died of complications from sepsis two weeks after her hospital admission.

Questions to the General Surgery expert and their responses

What is the standard of care in treating rectal cancer surgically?

Sphincter-saving procedures for rectal cancer are now considered the standard of care.

About the expert

This qualified expert is residency-trained in general surgery, and takes trauma calls in the ER. He has 15+ years of experience as a colorectal surgeon, along with substantial experience in surgical oncology. He holds memberships at such prestigious medical societies as the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons, and is also an active manuscript reviewer for several major surgical publications. Finally, he has lectured on topics relating to general and colorectal surgery at several major medical institutions throughout the nation.