When Doctors Fail To Take Action After Psa Results Show The Chance Of Prostate Cancer

Men tend to have a lack of comprehension of prostate cancer

, their own chances for the cancer, and how to determine if they have prostate cancer. Many men have minimal, if any, understanding of the advantage of screening for prostate cancer or of the guidelines for when to commence testing, how frequently to test, and the meaning of screening test results. But, far too often, doctors diagnose the cancer only after it is past the early stages because of a lack of screening.

There are several different circumstances that might lead to a delayed diagnosis. One typical medical mistake that forms the basis for these cases arises when a man's family doctor (1) actually screens the individual for prostate cancer by checking the amount of PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) in his bloodstream, (2) records abnormally high levels of PSA and yet (3) neither informs the patient about the abnormal results (and what they indicate) nor orders diagnostic tests, for instance a biopsy, to eliminate prostate cancer. Consider the following case, for instance:

In this reported claim a man learned he had prostate cancer after he followed up when advised by his internist that he probably had cancer. The issue in this case was that the internist did not tell the patient that he could have cancer for 3 years after the first elevated PSA test results. The year prior the man's PSA level had risen to 13.6. Two years before that it had been at 8.0 Throughout these years the physician did nothing to rule out prostate cancer as the source of these high readings and did not tell the patient. By the time he was diagnosed he had advanced prostate cancer and surgery was not among the treatment alternatives. Rather the man underwent radiation therapy and hormone therapy in an effort to stall the further progression of the cancer. The law firm that handled this matter reported that they took the claim to mediation where they were able to obtain a settlement of $600,000.

When they do not do anything in the presence of abnormal test results and the individual later finds out that he had prostate cancer and that the delay resulted in it spreading outside the prostate thus limiting treatment options and lessening his likelihood of surviving the cancer, the man might have a lawsuit for malpractice against the physician.

This claim illustrates a kind of mistake that can result in the delayed diagnosis of a patients prostate cancer. It comes about when the physician actually follows the guidelines and screens male patients for prostate cancer yet does not follow through when the test results are abnormal.

by: Joseph Hernandez

POST COMMENT

Cure Panic Attacks - What Is The Most Appropriate Treatment For Me? 9 Natural Treatment For Blackheads Holding Physicians Liable For Delaying Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer Treatment for Cold Sore on Tongue Lawsuit Against Doctor For Colon Cancer Death Of 27 Year Old Results In $2.5 Million Verdict Restless Leg Syndrome Treatment - Some Suggestions The �Cool Ruler”, Gregory Isaacs Succumbs to Lung area Cancer malignancy Would Skin Tighteners And Skin Treatments Genuinely Help To Cut Down Lines And Wrinkles? Cure Gynaecomastia and Avoid Surgery with Gynexin Gynecomastia Treatment Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Its Treatment Shin Splints - Prevention & Treatment Get The Best Botox Treatment In Bangkok Genentech/roche: Uk's Nice Remains Negative Over Avastin For Colorectal Cancer