New Jersey Failure to Diagnose Prostate Cancer Attorneys

Failure to Diagnose Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is cancer that forms in tissues of the prostate (a gland in the male reproductive system found below the bladder and in front of the rectum). Prostate cancer usually occurs in older men. According to estimates by the National Cancer Institute, 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in 2009 and more than 27,000 people will die from the disease in the same year.

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin based cancer in the United States, with 186,000 new cases diagnosed in 2008. Due to early detection measures, the ‘survival rate’ for prostate cancer is especially high. Approximately 90% of all prostate cancers are detected in the local and regional stages, when it is most treatable and well before it has had a chance to spread to other organs (metastasize).

Without early detection, prostate cancer becomes a much more dangerous disease. Many men do not have symptoms of the disease in its early stages, and, it is not until the disease has spread beyond the prostate that medical complications and symptoms become more apparent. Symptoms of prostate cancer may include the following:

• Urinary problems (not being able to urinate properly, having to urinate too frequently)
• Difficulty having an erection
• Frequent lower back pain
• Blood in semen

Since it is known how common prostate cancer is, there is no reason for men to not be screened. Age is the most important risk factor for the disease, and as such, the standard of care prescribes that men be screened annually when they reach age 50, especially since it is well-known that more than 70 percent of men diagnosed with this disease are over the age of 65.

One factor that can lead to a delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer is flaws in the screening process. There are two main methods for screening for prostate cancer, a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a blood test. The DRE can result in false positives or negatives, while the blood test, which looks for an elevation in prostate specific-antigens (PSA), can be more helpful. A PSA result greater than 4.0 is considered abnormal, and, generally speaking, the higher the PSA the greater the need for further investigation. However, the two tests used in combination are most definitely effective in helping to discover prostate cancer early. Further, if prostate cancer is suspected, biopsies of the prostate should be performed to evaluate the tissue for the presence of a malignancy.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with prostate cancer at a late stage, you may have a basis to bring a possible New Jersey medical malpractice claim. If your doctor did not screen you for the diseases, especially if you are of an advanced age, or, did not use the two most common screening methods in tandem to diagnose your illness, the matter should be further investigated.

The NJ failure to diagnose prostate cancer attorneys and medical staff at Blume Goldfaden have the experience and expertise to determine if the performance and/or interpretation of these diagnostic tests was done incorrectly or deviated from accepted standards, and, if they resulted in an injury or harm for which damages may be recovered. Call us for an evaluation at no cost to you.