| Male patients tend to possess a scant knowledge | | | | test results. The year prior the patient's PSA level |
| of prostate cancer, their own risk for the cancer, | | | | had increased to 13.6. Two years prior to that it |
| and the ways in which they can figure out if they | | | | had been at 8.0 Throughout these years the |
| have prostate cancer. Many men have minimal, if | | | | doctor did nothing to rule out prostate cancer as |
| any, knowledge of the merit of screening for | | | | the source of these elevated readings and did not |
| prostate cancer or of the recommendations for | | | | inform the patient. Further testing showed that at |
| when they should start testing, how frequently to | | | | this point the patient had advanced prostate |
| screen, and the meaning of screening test results. | | | | cancer. A prostatectomy was no longer an option. |
| They simply put their faith in their doctor to tell | | | | Treating physicians instead advised radiation |
| them what they should do to remain healthy. | | | | therapy and hormone therapy. Neither of these |
| Delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer examples | | | | would cure the cancer but they might slow the |
| are all too common. A common type of medical | | | | cancer's advancement and additional spread. The |
| mistake that is at the root of these cases arises | | | | law firm that handled this matter reported that |
| when the male patient's family doctor (1) screens | | | | they took the lawsuit to mediation where they |
| the patient for prostate cancer by monitoring the | | | | achieved a settlement of $600,000. |
| amount of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in his | | | | When they do not do anything in the presence of |
| bloodstream, (2) discovers that the patient has a | | | | abnormal test results and the man later finds out |
| high PSA level, but (3) neither informs the patient | | | | that he had prostate cancer and that the lapse of |
| of abnormal results (and what they suggest) nor | | | | time resulted in it spreading beyond the prostate |
| orders diagnostic tests, for example a biopsy, to | | | | thus decreasing treatment options and decreasing |
| exclude prostate cancer. The claim below is an | | | | his chances of surviving the cancer, he might |
| example of this problem. | | | | have a claim for medical malpractice against the |
| In this reported lawsuit a male patient discovered | | | | physician. |
| he had prostate cancer after he followed up | | | | As the above claim demonstrates doctors |
| when advised by his internist that he probably had | | | | sometimes comply with the guidelines by |
| cancer. The issue in this case was that the | | | | performing screening for prostate cancer yet if |
| physician did not tell the patient that he could | | | | the test results are abnormal they fail to do |
| have cancer until the third year of elevated PSA | | | | anything about it. |