Years Of Doctor Overlooking Abnormal Screening Test Results Leaves Patient With Metastatic Prostate Cancer

This year an estimated 14% of the one hundred ninety three thousand men identified as having prostate cancer will already have advanced prostate cancer when they are first told. With screening, including digital examinations and PSA blood tests, many of these males might have been diagnosed when their cancer was in the early stages. A lapse of time until the cancer is advanced does not merely constrain the man's treatment possibilities but also drastically reduces his chances of surviving the cancer. Consider the following reported case as an example.

While doing a physical examination on a 56 year old male patient, a doctor noted a small nodule on the left part of the prostate. The physician ordered a PSA test the results of which showed the level to be 3.1 - or within normal range. The physician took no further action at the time. Just about three years passed before the physician again performed a physical examination and records that the prostate is normal. This time, the doctor fails to order a PSA test. The individual consulted with by a different doctor something like 6 weeks later as part of an insurance mandated medical examination. This physician ordered a PSA test which registered at 5.3 - elevated. The patient then consulted with his regular doctor's practice and was told to come back so they can take their own PSA test. This test came back a 3.5 - within normal range. The doctor assured the man there was no need for worry or for any follow up.

Once more, nearly three years passed until the doctor next screened the patient. The physician again records the nodule. The doctor then ordered a PSA test that registered at 4.7 - high. The physician does not tell the individual and does nothing further regarding these two abnormal test results. Nearly two years later the physical examination reveals that the prostate not only had a nodule, but was firm on the side of the nodule and was enlarged. The PSA test now shows the level at 14.1. On this occasion, the physician finally refers the patient to a Urologist who finds that the patient has stage 4 prostate cancer that had reached the bones in his pubic area and the upper portion of his right leg.

A medical malpractice claim followed during which the doctor admitted that the existence of the nodule indicated an "abnormal" result. The law firm that assisted the man and his wife reported that the claim settled for $850,000. This amount included $250,000 for non-economic damages and $250,000 for the wife's future wrongful death claim - the maximum recoverable under the controlling law.

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Joseph Hernandez is an attorney accepting cancer malpractice cases. To learn about metastatic prostate cancer and other cancer matters including breast cancer metastasis visit the websites

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