Prostate Cancer

Salt Lake City, Tooele and Price, Utah

Prostate cancer is the second most fatal type of cancer among men, after lung cancer. The law firm of G. Eric Nielson in Salt Lake City, UT has amassed a great deal of experience in dealing with medical malpractice cases that involve prostate cancer.

Over the years, increased awareness and recent medical advances have improved the medical community’s ability to fight this deadly disease, so that when it’s caught early, chances of full recovery are excellent. As the disease progresses, however, it becomes more and more difficult to treat, and chances of pain, disfigurement, and death increase. Because early detection and treatment is so important, a delay or misdiagnosis can be particularly devastating.

Effects of missed or misdiagnosed prostate cancer

Late diagnosis or misdiagnosis can result in a number of hardships, including:

• Delay in cancer treatment
• Loss of sexual function
• Disfigurement
• Increased medical costs
• Pain and suffering
• Death

While a delay in diagnosis or failure to diagnose cancer can cause devastating losses, an incorrect diagnosis can be almost as damaging to many. People who are incorrectly diagnosed with cancer often suffer from severe anxiety and depression, and may undergo painful, debilitating, and disfiguring treatments as a result.

Screening for prostate cancer

Many cancer experts recommend regular screening for prostate cancer in men over 40, even if symptoms of prostate problems are not present. While the efficacy of such policies is still being debated, regular prostate examinations are the most effective way to diagnose prostate cancer at its earliest and most treatable stages.

In many cases, however, prostate cancer is only tested for when symptoms of prostate problems, such as difficulty with urination, become apparent.

Initial testing is usually done using a laboratory test known as a protein-specific antigen (PSA), screening. This blood test reveals elevated levels of certain types of antigen that can indicate cancer. If these levels are high, the physician should then order a biopsy to help determine the cause.

When you seek medical attention for problems with sexual function or urination, or if you are exhibiting any other signs of prostate problems, your physician should order the necessary tests to test for prostate cancer, to ensure that the condition is diagnosed and treated as promptly and appropriately as possible.

Many of these same problems can arise with heart disease and breast cancer.

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How to get help

If you or someone you love has suffered from misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis of prostate cancer, we can help you recover compensation for the damages you’ve suffered. Call or email our Salt Lake City office today. One of our experienced medical malpractice attorneys will go over your case with you in detail, and give you the advice and direction you need to go forward.