While A Diagnosis Of Metastatic Prostate Cancer Was Preventable

Consider finding out that you have prostate cancer. That's hard because "cancer" is a word that brings with it a feeling of terror at the very though. Yet maybe, you say to yourself, maybe it is not that bad. Maybe we detected it early and with the right treatment I'll beat it.

Still it gets worse. Imagine then finding out that is too late for that. The cancer has already metastasized to other areas of your body. A cure is therefore no longer a possibility. The best you can hope for is treatment that will slow down the progress of the disease. And later, after that treatment no longer works, treatment that will lessen the pain from the ever growing cancer.

You probably next ask yourself, "Why me?" "Was it merely bad luck?" And then you will likely ask "How could this have been avoided?" "Was there anything I could have done differently that would have avoided what now is an incurable disease?"

And then the news gets still worse. Imagine at this point figuring out that your physician, the individual you trusted to maintain you healthy and to warn you of any possible health problems, had information that you were at risk of having prostate cancer. Envision finding out that your physician had this information a year or more prior to when you learned you had cancer. And image finding out that had your doctor had given you this information when it was first available your cancer could have been detected while it was still contained within the prostate gland and could have been cured, could have been eliminated with proper treatment.

Do you assume that such a thing could not happen to you? Then consider the following cases:

In one reported lawsuit, a man was followed by his physician, an internist, for 3 years during which time the physician ordered PSA blood tests that found elevated levels (a sign that the patient might have prostate cancer and which doctors generally acknowledge ought to be followed by a biopsy). The physician, however, did not discuss the abnormal test results to the patient. When the patient ultimately was told about the abnormal result and underwent a full cancer workup it was revealed that it was too late as he now had advanced prostate cancer. The law firm that represented the patient in this matter reported that the resulting lawsuit reached a settlement in the amount of $600,000.

In another documented case, the male patient was not only not informed that a series of PSA tests recorded levels that were both abnormal and rising, but rather was assured by his doctor that the results were normal. When the patient later consulted with a urologist at the urging of his family, he was found to have advanced prostate cancer as the cancer had already reached the seminal vesicles. The law firm that handled this matter documented that the resulting lawsuit settled for $1.5 Million.

Far too many men find themselves in situations similar to the preceding. Whether the doctors fail to check the results of the tests, whether they buy into the believe that there is no need to take action even though the PSA is high or a nodule of a certain size is detected in the prostate, or whether they just do not comprehend the guidelines and the standard of care for the action that is appropriate when screening results are abnormal, these doctors cause a delay that results in the growth and spread of the cancer.

Various doctors do not believe that there is any benefit to screening men for prostate cancer (or do not appreciate the standard of care) and either simply do not screen their male patients or advise them against it. Other doctors do not check the results of screening tests while other physicians fail to follow up on an abnormal screening test result and not order a biopsy or refer the patient to a specialist. The result is often tragic: an avoidable death that becomes unavoidable.

Imagine being the one who received such news. You would likely fight the cancer as hard and as long as you could. Imagine being his spouse or life-partner. Imagine being his son or daughter. Imagine being his father or mother. You help him fight the cancer and you offer him all the love and support you can. You would help him fight the cancer and you offer him all the love and support you had to give.

Possibly you also choose to bring a lawsuit for medical malpractice to help protect your family's future. And you might hope that if forced to face the mistake and to pay a cost for it, maybe, just maybe, the doctor will alter the way he or she treats other patients in the future so that this tragedy will not happen again.

By: J. Hernandez

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Joseph Hernandez is an attorney accepting cancer cases. Learn about metastatic prostate cancer and other cancer matters including stage 4 breast cancer visit the websites