Misdiagnosis of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer can be a treatable disease and timely diagnosis is key.

Although no one wants to hear that they have cancer, timely knowledge of the existence of this disease is the best protection against it. Any failure to diagnose prostate cancer in time may have devastating effects for the victim; the victim may decide to file a lawsuit with the assistance of a St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer.

Devastating Effects of Misdiagnosed Prostate Cancer

According to statistics, one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is a serious disease, however, the survival rate for prostate cancer is positive. Whenever prostate cancer is not diagnosed early enough, the cancer has time to spread to other tissues and organs, dramatically decreasing the survival rate. Although not all instances of failure to diagnose are considered medical malpractice, a good number of cases do qualify for medical malpractice lawsuits, and it is essential for patients to be aware of this.

How to Determine Medical Malpractice

Patients should determine whether their doctor overlooked the symptoms associated with prostate cancer, or they think their doctor did not perform the necessary tests to diagnose the disease. This can be done by visiting another doctor and obtaining a second opinion. Consulting a St. Louis medical malpractice lawyer with access to medical professionals is another option for the patient. This allows the patient to determine whether he should have been given better treatment by the doctor. It also determines whether the patient is entitled to compensation for injury due to the medical error.

A patient should collect all the documents they have received from the doctor testing for prostate cancer. A lawyer can determine if a lawsuit can be filed using the information provided by the patient. It is also advisable for the patient to take note of all the appointments with the doctor and what happened during the appointment. The patient should also talk with anyone who accompanied them to the appointment to ensure all the details are accurate.

Act As Soon As Possible

A patient should not wait a long time to file a lawsuit since it will become harder to establish the occurrence of medical malpractice.  As time passes, it may be harder for the patient to substantiate the need for additional care that he should have received. Prostate cancer is a disease that may be treated successfully if it is diagnosed early. If you have been the victim of a doctor’s negligence, call Zevan and Davidson Law Firm at (314) 588-7200.

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