Screening Tests Disclose Possibility Of Prostate Cancer But Doctor Does not Inform Patient
By: J. Hernandez
Submitted: 2010-08-27 11:25:16 | Word Count: 545
Male patients are likely to have a poor knowledge of prostate cancer, their own chances for the cancer, and how to determine whether they have prostate cancer. Most male patients are not aware of what it means to screen for prostate cancer or that screening should be done in advance of when they develop symptoms. Regrettably doctors sometimes do not screen male patients or do not order diagnostic testing after an abnormal result from a screening test.
Delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer cases are all too common. One typical medical error that is at the root of these cases occurs when the male patient's primary care physician (1) orders a PSA blood test, (2) learns that the individual has an elevated PSA level, but (3) fails to tell the patient, does not refer the patient to a specialist, and fails to get a biopsy to determine if the elevated PSA from prostate cancer. Consider the following case, for example:
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A doctor, an internist, learned that his male patient had a PSA of 8. (a level above a 4.0 is generally deemed to be high). The doctor did not inform the patient. The doctor failed to refer the patient to a specialist. The doctor failed to order a biopsy. Two years later the physician repeated the PSA test. This time it had gone up to 13.6. Again, the physician said nothing to the patient. Again, the physician did not refer the patient to a urologist. And again, the doctor did not order a biopsy. Two years later the doctor repeated the PSA test. It was not until three years after first learning of the patient's elevated PSA level that the doctor at last told him that he most likely had cancer. By the time he was diagnosed he had advanced prostate cancer and surgery was no longer among the treatment alternatives. Treating doctors alternatively recommended radiation therapy and hormone therapy. Neither of these would eliminate the cancer but they might decrease the cancer's advancement and further spread. The law firm that handled this matter reported that they took the lawsuit to mediation where they were able to obtain a settlement of $600,000.
However doing nothing after noting abnormal test results results in a situation in which those patients who do actually have prostate cancer may not find out they have it until it has spread outside the prostate, restricting the patient's choices for treatment, and considerably reducing the possibility that the patient will be able to survive the cancer.
At a minimum they should inform the patient that the test results are abnormal and refer the person to a specialist. Another option is to order recommend diagnostic testing, for instance a biopsy.
As the above claim demonstrates physicians sometimes comply with the guidelines by performing screening for prostate cancer yet if the test results are abnormal they fail to follow through.
Author Resource:-
Joseph Hernandez is an attorney accepting cancer malpractice cases. To learn about metastatic prostate cancer and other cancer matters including stage 4 breast cancer visit the websites
