| Prostate cancer affects African-American men | | | | The patient, given his request and the fact that |
| differently from the rest of the population. Men of | | | | the doctor had done a physical examination, |
| African-American descent are at higher risk of | | | | assumed that a PSA test was also ordered. When |
| developing prostate cancer. As such, doctors | | | | he did not hear back regarding the results, the |
| generally recommend that African-American men | | | | patient simply assumed the results were normal. |
| should begin screening for prostate cancer earlier | | | | The patient saw the same doctor two years |
| (the recommended age being 45) so as to | | | | later. This time the doctor neither performed a |
| increase the likelihood that if they do develop | | | | physical examination of the prostate gland nor did |
| cancer it can be detected at an early stage while | | | | the doctor order a PSA test. |
| it is still curable. When physicians fail to follow the | | | | What this physician did was to give the patient a |
| guidelines for cancer screening and their patient is | | | | false sense of security. By performing the digital |
| later diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer | | | | examination of the prostate gland and ordering |
| that doctor may be liable for medical malpractice. | | | | blood tests the physician left the patient with the |
| Beyond screening for cancer, physicians also | | | | perception that a full screening had been |
| should recognize when a patient has complaints | | | | completed. A patient would likely think that a PSA |
| suggestive of possible cancer and follow up. | | | | test was been ordered along with the rest of the |
| Physicians also should either perform screening | | | | blood tests from the second visit. Either way, |
| testing requested by the patient or inform the | | | | however, a patient certainly would be justified in |
| patient that they will not perform the requested | | | | believing he had undergone a full screening. |
| testing and that the patient should consult with | | | | Later that year the patient saw a different |
| another doctor if he still wants the test. Consider | | | | doctor in the same practice. This doctor |
| a reported case involving an African-American | | | | performed a digital examination and order a PSA |
| male, forty-one years of age, who was involved | | | | test. The patient was diagnosed with prostate |
| in an ad campaign for raising awareness about the | | | | cancer that had metastasized to the bone. This |
| risk of prostate cancer in middle-aged | | | | patient did not wish to wait until the age of |
| African-American men and who requested of his | | | | forty-five which is when most African-American |
| physician to screen him for prostate cancer. | | | | men are first screened for colon cancer. He |
| Doctors generally recommend two tests for | | | | wanted to do it earlier and the doctor's behavior |
| prostate cancer screening in male patients. The | | | | lead him to be he had been properly screened as |
| first test is to use a gloved finger to manually | | | | he requested. |
| examine the prostate. The other is a simple blood | | | | The law firm that handled this matter took it to |
| test which is used to determine the level of | | | | trial and achieved a $2,750,000 verdict. An appeal |
| prostate specific antigen (PSA) in the male's | | | | was filed by the defense. The defense and the |
| system. As per the request of the patient, the | | | | plaintiff settled for a confidential amount as the |
| doctor physically examined the patient's prostate | | | | appeals was pending. The exact amount of the |
| gland. On physical examination, the physician did | | | | settlement is not public knowledge but it was less |
| not detect any abnormalities with the prostate | | | | than the amount of the verdict. This is a way by |
| gland: the gland was not enlarged, it was not | | | | which both parties can reduce the risk of an |
| hardened, and there were no nodules present. | | | | adverse ruling by the Appeals Court. In this case |
| Blood testing was then ordered by the physician. | | | | the Appeals Court subsequently denied the appeal. |
| The tests, however, did not include a PSA test. | | | | |