Male patients are likely to have a scant awareness of prostate cancer, their own chances for the cancer, and the methods available for detecting if they have prostate cancer. A large number of male patients are not aware of what it means to screen for cancer or that screening needs to be done prior to when they manifest symptoms. They put their confidence in their doctor to do whatever is appropriate to diagnose any cancer early and cure them.
Delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer examples are all too common. A common type of medical error that forms the basis for these cases arises when the male patient's primary care physician (1) actually screens the patient for prostate cancer by keeping track of the amount of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in his bloodstream, (2) notices abnormally high levels of PSA and yet (3) neither tells him of abnormal results (and what they signify) nor orders diagnostic tests, for instance a biopsy, to exclude cancer of the prostate. The claim below illustrates this situation.
A physician, an internist, learned that his male patient had a PSA of 8. (anything above a 4.0 is normally deemed to be high). The physician did not tell the patient. The doctor did not refer the patient to a urologist. The physician did not order a biopsy. Two years later the doctor repeated the PSA test. This time the PSA level had risen to 13.6. Again, the doctor said nothing to the patient. Again, the doctor did not refer the patient to a urologist. And again, the doctor did not order a biopsy. Two years later the doctor repeated the PSA test. It was not until three years after first knowing about the patient's elevated PSA level that the doctor at last advised him that he probably had cancer. By the time he was diagnosed he had advanced prostate cancer and surgery was not among the treatment alternatives. Treating doctors instead recommended radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Neither of these would eliminate the cancer but they might obstruct the cancer's advancement and additional spread. The law firm that handled this matter reported that they took the lawsuit to mediation where they were able to obtain a settlement of $600,000.
When they do not do anything in the presence of abnormal test results and the individual later learns that he had prostate cancer and that the delay lead to it spreading beyond the prostate gland thereby restricting treatment alternatives and lowering his chances of surviving the cancer, the patient might be able to successfully pursue a claim against the physician.
This lawsuit illustrates a sort of mistake that can lead to the delayed diagnosis of a patient's prostate cancer. It comes about when the physician actually follows the guidelines and screens male patients for prostate cancer however does not follow through when the test results are abnormal.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an Attorney accepting catastrophic injury and medical malpractice matters. To learn more about metastatic prostate cancer cases and see how a cancer lawyer may be able to assist you visit the website
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