Warning To Physicians – Adhere To Prostate Cancer Screening Recommendations Or Risk A Medical Malpractice Lawsuit
Generally, prostate cancer metastasis refers to when the cancer has spread beyond the prostate gland and has taken hold in other locations of the body, most often the bones in the lower back, pelvic area or upper legs. This is the most advanced stage of the cancer. Unlike in the early stages, before it has spread beyond the gland, when the cancer is still highly curable, once it reaches this point, the cancer can not be cured by current medicine. The main issue changes at this advanced stage. Now the key question is how long treatments, such as hormonal therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may help temporarily stop or at least slow down the continuing progression on the cancer.
The length of time that the treatment will be effective hinges on a number of factors, including the Gleason score the PSA level (an antigen that increases as the cancer grows and spreads), the location and severity of the spread, and other factors such as the patient’s age and general non-cancer related health. Normally, however, treatment will stop being effective eventually. At that point the man normally is given palliative treatment, meant not to treat the disease, but rather as a way of treating the symptoms, chiefly through controlling the pain. Two of the most prevalent symptoms are weight loss and extreme pain. The pain is due largely from the spread of the cancer in the bone.
The problem is that all too frequently doctors either do not talk about screening tests with patients or overlook abnormal test results until the cancer advances. If this happens the individual might have a medical malpractice case against that doctor. People with a delayed diagnosis of metastatic colon cancer or metastasized breast cancer whose doctors failed to follow the proper screening guidelines for those cancers might likewise have a medical malpractice case against the responsible physician.
You should not consider any of the material in this post as medical advice. For any issues concerning your health you ought to immediately contact a doctor. Likewise, should you feel you may have a medical malpractice case, because the law limits the time you have in which to pursue any such claim , you should contact an attorney immediately.