There are screening tests that are recommended by doctors to discover prostate cancer in men prior to symptoms appearing. However, regardless of whether a doctor tests a male patient the tests are meaningless if the doctor does not follow up with a referral to a urologist or order additional testing if the results were abnormal. This may cause a holdup in diagnosing the patient's cancer and a worsening of the patient's Consider the following review of a reported case of a man whose prostate cancer was not found until it had already spread outside the gland. This occurred even though his physician had data highly suggestive of cancer for approximately 1 to 3 years before the man's diagnosis. The case involved the allegation of a lapse of time of between 1 and 3 years in detecting the male patient's cancer.

A doctor saw a man for a physical examination. Because of the man’s age, the physician performed a physical examination of his prostate and found that it was slightly firm on the left. A hardening of the prostate might be caused by cancer. The PSA, though, was only 2.35 (a reading usually regarded to be within the normal limits). Nearly two years afterward, the man went back for another physical. The physician at this point recorded no abnormalities with the prostate but the PSA test was 4.18. This is high and was close to twice the earlier reading. Also this reading was nearly double that of the patient's PSA from 2 years before.

However, the physician had not told the man that there were abnormal prostate cancer screening test results suspicious for cancer, had not sent the man to a specialist, and had not ordered any diagnostic testing (such as a biopsy) to figure out whether the abnormal test results were due to cancer or to a benign reason. It was not until the third year following the initial finding that the man’s doctor finally referred him to a Urologist (who found the cancer) after a PSA of 6.8.

By the time of the diagnosis, it turned out the the man had metastatic prostate cancer. The man went forward with a case against his family physician for the delayed diagnosis of the cancer. The physician, however, took the position that he had not received a copy of the PSA test and therefore he was not aware of the increase in the patient's PSA. The physician further argued that the holdup in finding the cancer did not harm the patient.

The law firm that handled this claim reported that a settlement was attained with the physician. The reported amount of the settlement was for half a million dollars. The material in this article is not meant to be taken as medical advice. It is also not legal advice. the preceding is solely meant to be basic information. For any health concerns check with a doctor immediately.

The conclusion of this claim upholds the conclusion that if a physician fails to inform the patient or do further testing in the face of abnormal test results and the ensuing lapse of time permits the patient's disease and prospects to deteriorate that doctor might be liable for medical malpractice. If you were diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and think your physician did not follow up on tests that indicated the chance that you had cancer you ought to contact an attorney.