Colon cancer undiagnosed, suit says

A man who claims his colon cancer progressed and worsened because it went undiagnosed and untreated is suing the health care providers he claims are negligent.

Jeffrey Metrick claims Metro-East family practitioner Dr. Dorothy Loderstedt and Carehand, P.C. of Troy failed to order a colorectal screening in a patient over the age of 50; failed to order a screening for a patient with a family history of colon cancer and failed to obtain an adequate history from a new patient.

Metrick, who was under their care from May 2004 until September 2006, claims he learned he had colon cancer on Oct. 14, 2006.

In the four-count suit filed Oct. 6 in St. Clair County Circuit Court, Metrick also claims Clinical Radiologists, S.C., of Springfield and radiologist Dr. Vladislav Gogengaut were allegedly negligent for failing to diagnose an astomotic leak in a gastrografin that was performed on Nov. 26, 2006.

He claims he suffered from further infection as a result.

Metrick, represented by Joseph A. Bartholomew of Cook, Ysursa, Bartholomew, Brauer & Shevlin of Belleville, is seeking in excess of $200,000 in damages.