This article discusses two lawsuits that provide insight into the worth of testing males for prostate cancer. Although there has been some controversy of late on the worth of testing male patients for prostate cancer (specifically concerning the PSA screening test) a number of points continue to be undisputable. To begin with, prostate cancer causes the PSA to rise. Next, African-American males have a larger likelihood of developing prostate cancer while in an early stage. Third, if prostate cancer is diagnosed early, the patient has an excellent chance of conquering the cancer. Fourth, when it is not detected until it has already spread, there is at this time no known cure. Finally, most physicians are in agreement that at the very least a doctor should have a conversation with men of a specified age pertaining to testing for prostate cancer and that discussion and any screening ought to take place at an earlier age for African-American men.

In one malpractice case, a man of African-American descent had been treating with his primary care physician for various issues, in particular prostate related issues. But, the doctor did not adequately do screening during the time the man was without symptoms or diagnostic testing to rule out the possibility of prostate cancer during the times the man had prostate related issues. When the man was 57, he read an article explaining the benefits of cancer testing and asked the doctor to test him. The tests detected that he had metastatic prostate cancer. The law firm that represented the man reported the matter was settled for three quarter of a million dollars.

Consider the next published case of a forty one year-old African-American man who had taken part in an ad campaign meant to raise awareness about the risk of prostate cancer in middle-aged males of African-American descent requested that his doctor screen him for the cancer. The patient’s doctor conducted a physical examination of the prostate that did not reveal any palpable abnormalities on the prostate but the physician did not include a PSA test when ordering blood tests. The patient thought a PSA test was ordered and just believed that there were no abnormal results as he did not hear anything further about it. The patient was seen again by the same physician 2 years later at which point the physician did not do a physical examination of the prostate and just as before failed to order a PSA test.

Later that year the man saw a different physician in the same practice. This doctor both performed a digital examination and ordered a PSA test. The patient now learned that he had prostate cancer with bone metastasis. The law firm that represented the victim in this malpractice claim reported achieving a settlement in the case as it was pending an appeal of a $2.75 Million verdict.

The thing these lawsuits illustrate is that, irrespective of any argument concerning the benefits of testing male patients for prostate cancer, failing to do so may let enough time pass that there will be a spread of the disease and in time, the patient's death : a death that might have be avoided. If you was not diagnosed until the cancer had spread because the doctor never notified the man concerning screening procedures or otherwise let to a holdup in the diagnosis or treatment of the cancer, you should contact a lawyer immediately.