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Doctor Agrees To Pay Man For $500,000 After Not Finding His Prostate Cancer For 3 Years
In this article, we examine the report of a claim which alleged a delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer. This occured whereas his doctor had information that was highly suspicious of cancer for from 1 to 3 years before the man's diagnosis. The case involved the allegation of a delay of between 1 and 3 years in finding the male patient's cancer. A male patient went to his family physician for a physical examination. Due to the patient's age, the physician conducted a physical examination of his prostate and documented that it was slightly firm on the left. A hardening of the prostate might be because of cancer. The PSA, on the other hand, was only 2.35 (a level usually thought to be to be in normal values). Virtually 2 years afterward, the man went back for another physical. The doctor at this point documented no abnormalities with the prostate but the PSA test came back 4.18. This is abnormal and was an almost doubling of the prior reading. Furthermore this reading was nearly double that of the person's PSA from 2 years earlier. However, the physician had not told the patient that there were abnormal prostate cancer screening test results that were that raised suggested he had 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 at last referred him to a Urologist (who diagnosed the cancer) after a PSA of 6.8. By the time of the diagnosis, the the man's prostate cancer spread outside the gland. The man went forward with a malpractice claim against his family doctor for the delayed diagnosis of the cancer. The physician, however, argued that he never got the report of the PSA test and thus he was not aware of the rise in the patient's PSA. The physician further took the position that the holdup in diagnosing the cancer did not cause an injury to the patient. The law firm that represented the patient documented that a settlement was arrived at with the physician. The reported sum of the settlement was for half a million dollars. The preceeding is not meant to be taken as either medical or legal advice. The above is merely meant to be general information. If you have any health concerns seek advice from a physician without delay. The conclusion of this matter upholds the understanding that in case a physician does not follow up on abnormal test results and the resulting delay allows the patient's disease and outlook to deteriorate that physician may be liable for medical malpractice. In the event that you think you might be a victim of advanced cancer as a result of medical malpractice speak without delay with a cancer attorney. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Joseph Hernandez is an attorney accepting medical malpractice cases. To learn about prostate cancer and other cancer matters including colon cancer visit the websites |
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