Prostate cancer misdiagnosis claims

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men from the United Kingdom, with over 40,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Normally the disease is slow to progress and the symptoms can be managed, but where the misdiagnosis of prostate cancer occurs, your ability to lead a normal, happy life can be severely affected. Should this happen to you, you may be entitled to make a prostate cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim.

Making a Prostate Cancer Misdiagnosis Claim

If the actions (or in-actions) of the medical professional responsible for your care result in a delayed diagnosis (or even the total absence of any diagnosis) of prostate cancer, and therefore causes delays in getting you vital treatment, then you could be entitled to make a claim for prostate cancer misdiagnosis.

If you decide to proceed with a medical negligence claim, the extent to which these failings have negatively impacted your condition will be factored into any compensation calculation.

GPs have been trained to recognise the signs of prostate cancer and to take swift action where it has become a potential threat to their patients. As such, there are a number of scenarios that might be considered negligence and therefore entitle you to make a claim for prostate cancer misdiagnosis:

• Where you present to your GP with symptoms that could indicate prostate cancer, but they fail to provide a thorough examination or fail to refer you to a specialist for subsequent testing
• In instances where abnormal or suspicious test results are not investigated by doctors
• Where test results are not accurately reported, recorded or interpreted
• When the symptoms of prostate cancer are misdiagnosed as another condition

There are potentially more scenarios where it may be appropriate to claim for the misdiagnosis of prostate cancer, so if you’re unsure as to whether you have been the victim of medical negligence, it’s important that you speak to a legal expert at the earliest opportunity.

Blackwater Law medical negligence solicitors can offer a wealth of knowledge and experience in dealing with prostate cancer misdiagnosis claims. We’re recognised by the Legal 500 as offering some of the very best advice and support in the South East, and when you make a prostate cancer misdiagnosis claim with us, we’ll fight to secure you the very highest compensation sum obtainable according to your circumstances.

Prostate Cancer Stages

NICE guidelines outline four primary types / stages of prostate cancer:

• Localised Prostate Cancer: This denotes cancer that is confined entirely to the prostate
• Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer: Here the cancer has spread beyond the prostate capsule, but is overall still confined within the prostate gland
• Relapsed Prostate Cancer: Cancer that has returned following what was otherwise thought to be a successful treatment
• Metastatic Prostate Cancer: This is cancer that has spread well beyond the prostate and is no longer linked to its site of origin

Prostate Cancer Symptoms

The early stages of prostate cancer do not normally produce symptoms, as these do not manifest until the prostate has grown large enough to apply pressure to your urethra.

When this becomes the case however, you may begin to notice the following:

• You may need to urinate more frequently, and this may begin to disturb your sleep pattern
• Urges to use the toilet may come on suddenly, causing you to rush / panic
• You may experience difficulty initiating the urination process
• Your urine may be expelled in a very weak flow
• You may be left with the feeling that your bladder is not completely empty even after urinating

The mere fact that your prostate has become enlarged is not indicative of prostate cancer, as prostate enlargement condition (sometimes referred to as “benign prostatic hyperplasia”) is common in older men and not necessarily dangerous.

You should be more alarmed if the aforementioned symptoms are accompanied by the likes of the following, as they can be an indication that prostate cancer has developed and spread to other areas of your body:

• Experiencing bone and / or back pain
• Where you experience a loss of appetite
• Sustained pain in the testicles
• Unexplained weight loss

Prostate Cancer Causes

There is no definitive cause for the onset of prostate cancer, but a number of factors can elevate the risk of contracting the disease:

• Your risk increases after the age of 50
• Those of African and African-Caribbean descent are known to be at higher risk of prostate cancer, with men of Asian descent at significantly lower risk
• If a close male relative contracted the disease before the age of 60, or if one of your female relatives has contracted breast cancer – you may be at greater risk yourself
• Being overweight or obese has been linked with a higher prostate cancer risk
• Regular exercise has been observed to lower your risk
• Early evidence suggests that a diet high in calcium could elevate your risk of prostate cancer

Specialists in Prostate Cancer Misdiagnosis

Our medical negligence solicitors handle cancer misdiagnosis claims pertaining to a diverse array of the disease’s various forms. We’ve successfully handled skin cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer misdiagnosis claims and we look forward to providing advice and support to anyone who has been subjected to a negligent prostate cancer diagnosis.

Whether you want to make a claim or just need more information before you decide, you’re welcome to speak to one of our experts today. Time restrictions can apply in some cases however, so it’s important to get in contact at your earliest possible convenience.