Tony took care of himself. He exercised regularly, ate healthy (most of the time), and had annual physical checkups. So, he was surprised to learn that he had Stage 3 prostate cancer. Tony’s doctors had failed to interpret his test results. In Tony’s case, misdiagnosing prostate cancer meant that his treatment plan would be harder for him and his family. They all wondered if they had grounds for medical malpractice. In this article, we will look at medical malpractice based on misdiagnosing prostate cancer.
Grounds for Medical Malpractice, Generally
Your medical providers typically owe you a duty of care, which means there are certain standards they must meet. For example, healthcare professionals should follow accepted protocols in providing care and a safe, healthy environment. You might have grounds for medical malpractice when someone fails to meet those standards or protocols.
Some of the most common causes of medical malpractice claims include:
- Prescribing or administering the wrong medication,
- Operating room errors,
- Failing to order appropriate tests,
- Ignoring or misinterpreting test results, and
- Misdiagnosing or failing to diagnose a medical condition.
Being diagnosed with prostate cancer is not grounds for medical malpractice. However, failing to follow up on test results for such a common medical condition.
Prostate Cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, “prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.” Their projections for 2021 indicate they expect almost 250,000 new cases of prostate cancer. About 34,000 men will die from the disease.
Men who are age 65 or older are most likely to have prostate cancer. In fact, the condition is rare for men under age 40.
It’s even more stunning to compare prostate cancer deaths with all other cancer deaths. Among American men, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, followed by prostate cancer.
If this cancer is so common and so obviously appearing among men over age 65, why does misdiagnosing prostate cancer happen?
The Simple Answer
Medical errors are often the reason doctors are misdiagnosing prostate cancer. Either doctors fail to notice symptoms and order tests, or they misinterpret test results. Men who find their prostate cancer was misdiagnosed certainly might have grounds for medical malpractice. The best course of action is to contact a medical malpractice attorney as soon as possible.
Call Us for More Information About Grounds for Medical Malpractice.
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