Prostate cancer misdiagnosis and prostatectomy compensation
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Prostate cancer misdiagnosis and prostatectomy compensation
I always found your staff courteous and efficient and they always delivered.
Mr I Metcalf
Cheshire
While a prostate cancer prognosis doesn’t usually mean the need for extensive treatment and survival rates are very good, it’s still a scary experience. When it’s diagnosed during the earliest stages, prostate cancer means that patients have a good chance of living with the disease and, in many cases, will simply need to actively monitor the disease rather than undergoing treatment.
However, experiencing misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can have a significant impact on how the cancer spreads and develops. You should be able to rely on medical professionals to treat you properly, take your concerns seriously and follow-up with the necessary tests. If this hasn’t been the case and you’ve experienced medical negligence it can mean that you now need further treatment and that your confidence in those who are responsible for your care has been shaken.
Read moreHere at Your Legal Friend we understand how medical negligence can leave you feeling and are here to offer you guidance when making a prostate cancer misdiagnosis compensation claim. With the support of our professional and expert team we will work with you to secure you the best outcome possible in your case. Guided by our specialist solicitors you can take a step towards understanding what went wrong in your case and compensation. We know that financial compensation won’t make up for the treatment you received but it can help you on the road to recovery.
Read lessOur medical negligence team has years of experience working on a wide variety of medical malpractice cases so we understand just how difficult a decision it can be to bring a medical negligence case.
That’s why we are committed to guiding you through every step of the process. We ensure that your claim is handled carefully and professionally by our specialist solicitors, while working alongside medical experts, to guarantee the best results for you.
Read moreOur medical negligence team is headed by Laura Morgan who has a wealth of experience in leading complicated, high-value medical negligence cases.
Laura is recognised within the legal profession as a leader in the field of medical negligence and serious injury compensation. Laura has acted in a wide range of cases over her 17 years of practice and has particular expertise in acting for children who have suffered brain injury due to mismanaged birth or surgical errors, and in managing claims that have resulted in the death of a loved one. Laura has achieved a number of large settlements including £5.4 million for a 7 year old and £4 million for an 11 year old child.
Laura’s expertise and dedication to her clients is recognised in the Chambers guide to the Legal Profession in which she was praised for the efficiency of her approach to case handling and described as “tenacious and detail-oriented”.
Laura has been a member of the Law Society Clinical Negligence Panel since 2005 and accredited as a Senior Litigator in the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) since 2006. Laura is also a member of the specialist lawyers panel for Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA), the UK’s leading charity committed to patient safety and justice.
For an informal, confidential chat with one of our specialist medical negligence solicitors, call us now on 0151 550 5228(calls free from landlines and mobiles). Or just complete the 'Start a new claim’ option on the right and we'll call you straight back.
Read lessWe'll never sell your data or contact you unnecessarily. Your Legal Friend is a secure and private website.
The effects of medical negligence can be devastating for the individual and their families, so securing appropriate compensation for them as quickly as possible is our top priority.
Director of Medical Negligence
“I found the staff to be friendly, helpful, courteous and they kept me well informed on a regular basis”
Mrs. Vora,
Loughborough
“They acted in a sympathetic and professional manner and resolved my case very efficiently”
Mr Dowse
Leeds
The earlier prostate cancer is diagnosed the better the chance of surviving the disease and avoiding serious treatment that could have significant side effects. If you experienced a delayed diagnosis or were misdiagnosed initially and have had a worse outcome, as a result, you may be able to make a missed prostate cancer diagnosis compensation claim. In order to be successful, you’ll need to demonstrate that you were let down by the health care system. This could include:
Read moreIf you successfully win prostate cancer misdiagnosis compensation the amount you receive will vary depending on your individual circumstances. The amount secured will depend upon the pain and suffering that you have endured which would have been avoided with proper treatment and how financially you have been affected both in the past and the future. When you work with us we’ll calculate the value of your claim. While some of the compensation money is quantifiable, such as the amount you lost in earnings as a result of being misdiagnosed, others are harder to assess, for instance, the distress medical negligence has caused. We’ll work with you in order to secure an outcome that reflects the suffering you have endured.
Medical negligence claims must be made within 3 years from the ‘date of knowledge’. This means you have 3 years to start the claims process in court from when you first realised that there had been a mistake not from when you first visit your doctor with a concern. This often means you have a longer period to start a compensation claim but it can make it more difficult to understand whether your claim falls inside the timeframe.
Read moreIf you’re unsure about where you stand with your failure to diagnose cancer claim, you can talk to one of our time. We recommend starting the compensation process as soon as possible, this makes it easier for you to recall details and access records.
Read lessThe prostate gland is only found in men and is usually the size of a walnut but grows gradually as men age. It is beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Prostate cancer, as with all types of cancer, begins when cells start to grow in an uncontrollable way. These cells are initially not cancerous but there is a risk that this can occur. Prostate cancer begins from cancerous cells within the prostate but it is possible for the disease to spread to other areas of the body.
It is not known exactly what causes prostate cancer but research has linked it to several risk factors. Among the causes of prostate cancer are:
Other potential risk factors for developing prostate cancer include previously having certain cancers, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, or kidney cancer, or having a vasectomy.
Read lessThe signs of symptoms of prostate cancer are usually mild and some people don’t experience any symptoms at all, particularly during the earliest stage. Most men only notice signs of prostate cancer when the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra. Symptoms of prostate cancer include:
Read moreWhile these are prostate cancer signs, the prostate naturally grows as men age so the symptoms don’t necessarily indicate cancer. Where cancer has spread, the symptoms usually become more obvious, such as bone and back pain, less of an appetite, pain in the testicles and unexplained weight loss.
Read lessIf you have prostate cancer symptoms you should visit your GP. There is no definitive prostate cancer diagnosis test, instead if your GP believes you could have prostate cancer they will discuss the pros and cons of each test in order to help you make an informed decision. There are several ways of diagnosing prostate cancer.
A PSA blood test measures the amount of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland, a small amount of PSA is evident in all men’s blood and the amount increase with age. The prostate cancer blood test will look at how much PSA is in the blood and raised levels can indicate cancer in its earliest stages. However, it’s not a specific prostate cancer test and around 65% of men that have higher than average levels of PSA will not have cancer.
Read moreAnother way to detect prostate cancer is a digital rectal examination (DRE). This will be conducted by the GP and will involve them checking the surface of the gland to see if it has changed. Sometimes prostate cancer can make the gland hard and bumpy but this isn’t always the case. While it’s not a way to get a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer, a DRE can be used to rule out prostate enlargement caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia.
If it’s concluded that you are at risk of having prostate cancer your GP will discuss further ways of diagnosing prostate cancer, including a biopsy. This will be conducted under local anaesthetic and will involve removing a small sample of cells to test for cancer. A TRUS biopsy is the most accurate test for prostate cancer but it can still miss up to one in five cancers because the location of the cancer is unknown when it’s carried out. It also can also cause potential complications.
Under NHS guidelines, men that are believed to have prostate cancer following a digital rectal examination should be referred within two weeks, as should those that have high PSA levels.
If there is a chance that the disease could have spread following a prostate cancer diagnosis, further testing may be needed. This could include an MRI, CT scan or an isotope bone scan.
Read lessIt is possible for prostate cancer to be misdiagnosed. The fact that there is no definitive test for diagnosing prostate cancer can make it difficult for medical professionals to reach an accurate conclusion, even if a PSA test and biopsy are conducted.
Prostate cancer misdiagnosis statistics suggest that half of men with prostate cancer are misdiagnosed. The research, from Cambridge University, found that men were not only experiencing a failure to diagnose prostate cancer but were also being told they have a less serious form of the disease when they had more serious cancer. While diagnostic techniques have improved in recent years there’s still a chance for misdiagnosis of prostate cancer to occur
Read moreAs well as medical professionals concluding that the growth of the prostate gland is benign and down to age, it can also be diagnosed as other conditions. Prostate cancer diagnosed as prostatitis, which is the inflammation of the prostate gland, can occur.
If misdiagnosed prostate cancer does occur, it can have a serious impact on the treatment needed to cure or slow the spread of the disease and the survival rate.
Read lessThe treatment of prostate cancer varies from case to case and a multi-disciplinary team advises each patient. The treatment advised will depend on many factors, including the size and stage of the cancer, whether it has spread to other areas of the body and your general health. The best prostate cancer treatment will be different for each individual but in many cases, no treatment is necessary, with the symptoms being carefully monitored instead. This is usually chosen because prostate cancer is often non-aggressive and there are prostate cancer treatment side effects to consider. Treatment for prostate cancer includes:
Watchful waiting is often recommended for older men when it’s unlikely that prostate cancer will affect their natural lifespan. It means waiting to see if any symptoms of the cancer developing occur.
Read moreThe aim of active surveillance aims to avoid unnecessary treatment of harmless cancers. It’s estimated that up to two-thirds of men with prostate cancer do not need treatment. Active surveillance means keeping a close eye on the cancer, for instance regularly having PSA blood tests to see if levels continue to rise.
A radical prostatectomy is a surgery to remove the prostate gland. It is used to cure localised prostate cancer and locally-advanced prostate cancer. However, it does have potential side effects and risks, including being fatal in a small number of cases, and for around a third of men, it doesn’t remove all the cancerous cells, meaning the cancer can return after the operation.
Radiotherapy for prostate cancer is used to kill the cancerous cells and can be used to slow the progression of the disease or relieve symptoms. It is often used in conjunction with hormone therapy but can cause both short and long-term side effects, including the inability to obtain an erection and urinary incontinence.
Brachytherapy is a form of prostate cancer where it is delivered inside the prostate gland. It can deliver a high dose of radiation while minimising the risk to other, healthy tissue. Prostate cancer brachytherapy still carries the risk of sexual dysfunction and urinary problems.
Hormone therapy can be used as prostate cancer treatment and is often used with radiotherapy. It can improve the chances of success of radiotherapy and reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
For prostate cancer, chemotherapy is usually only used if the disease has spread to other parts of the body or is not responding to other treatment options.
Other treatment options are also available, including cryotherapy, trans-urethral resection of the prostate and high intensity focused ultrasound.
Read lessThe best treatment for prostate cancer varies between cases and you will be advised on which option is the most likely to be successful. No treatment is guaranteed to be successful and many have significant side effects, as a result, some men choose not to begin treatment immediately but instead monitor their conditions and symptoms to see how the cancer progresses.
The treatment of prostate cancer that is recommended for you will consider:
Read moreWhen you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer it will be graded and given a stage. The staging of prostate cancer indicates how serious the disease is, how likely it is to spread and has an impact on the course of treatment recommended.
Localised prostate cancer means that the cancerous cells are all contained within the prostate. In many cases, doctors will offer you active surveillance, where the cancer is frequently monitored, but you can choose to start treatment straight away. If you are classed as being low risk, treatment for prostate cancer can include surgery, external radiotherapy, brachytherapy. If you are found to have intermediate or high risk localised prostate cancer you usually begin treatment straight away.
If your cancer is described as locally advanced cancer it means the cancerous cells have spread to nearby tissue. In this instance, the best treatment for prostate cancer is often determined by whether you have any symptoms. If you don’t have any of the signs associated with prostate cancer you may not have treatment. If symptoms are present radiotherapy and hormone therapy are among the options. Surgery can be used but it isn’t a very common option for locally advanced cancer.
Advanced prostate cancer means the disease has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones. In this case, treatment aims to control the cancer to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body and maintaining a good quality of life. There are several treatment options for prostate cancer at this stage but which one is best will be down to each patient.
Read lessMore than 99% of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, where the cancerous cells develop in the gland cells. However, there are other types of prostate cancer, although they are very rare. Some rare prostate cancers don’t result in PSA levels increasing, meaning they are harder to detect, and, in some cases, they can be more aggressive or spread faster.
In the UK, there are around 130 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed every day, it is the second most common cancer. However, most cases are diagnosed during the early stages and the prostate cancer survival rate is good.
Read moreMore than 8 in 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive their disease for ten years or more and 94% survive their disease for one year or more. The survival rate of prostate cancer has tripled in the last 40 years alone, an improvement that’s been attributed to PSA testing and detecting the disease at the earliest stage.
Read lessThe earlier prostate cancer is diagnosed the better the chance of surviving the disease and avoiding serious treatment that could have significant side effects. If you experienced a delayed diagnosis or were misdiagnosed initially and have had a worse outcome, as a result, you may be able to make a missed prostate cancer diagnosis compensation claim. In order to be successful, you’ll need to demonstrate that you were let down by the health care system. This could include:
Read moreIf you successfully win prostate cancer misdiagnosis compensation the amount you receive will vary depending on your individual circumstances. The amount secured will depend upon the pain and suffering that you have endured which would have been avoided with proper treatment and how financially you have been affected both in the past and the future. When you work with us we’ll calculate the value of your claim. While some of the compensation money is quantifiable, such as the amount you lost in earnings as a result of being misdiagnosed, others are harder to assess, for instance, the distress medical negligence has caused. We’ll work with you in order to secure an outcome that reflects the suffering you have endured.
Medical negligence claims must be made within 3 years from the ‘date of knowledge’. This means you have 3 years to start the claims process in court from when you first realised that there had been a mistake not from when you first visit your doctor with a concern. This often means you have a longer period to start a compensation claim but it can make it more difficult to understand whether your claim falls inside the timeframe.
Read moreIf you’re unsure about where you stand with your failure to diagnose cancer claim, you can talk to one of our time. We recommend starting the compensation process as soon as possible, this makes it easier for you to recall details and access records.
Read lessThe prostate gland is only found in men and is usually the size of a walnut but grows gradually as men age. It is beneath the bladder and surrounds the urethra. Prostate cancer, as with all types of cancer, begins when cells start to grow in an uncontrollable way. These cells are initially not cancerous but there is a risk that this can occur. Prostate cancer begins from cancerous cells within the prostate but it is possible for the disease to spread to other areas of the body.
It is not known exactly what causes prostate cancer but research has linked it to several risk factors. Among the causes of prostate cancer are:
Other potential risk factors for developing prostate cancer include previously having certain cancers, including bladder cancer, lung cancer, or kidney cancer, or having a vasectomy.
Read lessThe signs of symptoms of prostate cancer are usually mild and some people don’t experience any symptoms at all, particularly during the earliest stage. Most men only notice signs of prostate cancer when the cancer has grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra. Symptoms of prostate cancer include:
Read moreWhile these are prostate cancer signs, the prostate naturally grows as men age so the symptoms don’t necessarily indicate cancer. Where cancer has spread, the symptoms usually become more obvious, such as bone and back pain, less of an appetite, pain in the testicles and unexplained weight loss.
Read lessIf you have prostate cancer symptoms you should visit your GP. There is no definitive prostate cancer diagnosis test, instead if your GP believes you could have prostate cancer they will discuss the pros and cons of each test in order to help you make an informed decision. There are several ways of diagnosing prostate cancer.
A PSA blood test measures the amount of PSA in the blood. PSA is a protein produced by the prostate gland, a small amount of PSA is evident in all men’s blood and the amount increase with age. The prostate cancer blood test will look at how much PSA is in the blood and raised levels can indicate cancer in its earliest stages. However, it’s not a specific prostate cancer test and around 65% of men that have higher than average levels of PSA will not have cancer.
Read moreAnother way to detect prostate cancer is a digital rectal examination (DRE). This will be conducted by the GP and will involve them checking the surface of the gland to see if it has changed. Sometimes prostate cancer can make the gland hard and bumpy but this isn’t always the case. While it’s not a way to get a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer, a DRE can be used to rule out prostate enlargement caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia.
If it’s concluded that you are at risk of having prostate cancer your GP will discuss further ways of diagnosing prostate cancer, including a biopsy. This will be conducted under local anaesthetic and will involve removing a small sample of cells to test for cancer. A TRUS biopsy is the most accurate test for prostate cancer but it can still miss up to one in five cancers because the location of the cancer is unknown when it’s carried out. It also can also cause potential complications.
Under NHS guidelines, men that are believed to have prostate cancer following a digital rectal examination should be referred within two weeks, as should those that have high PSA levels.
If there is a chance that the disease could have spread following a prostate cancer diagnosis, further testing may be needed. This could include an MRI, CT scan or an isotope bone scan.
Read lessIt is possible for prostate cancer to be misdiagnosed. The fact that there is no definitive test for diagnosing prostate cancer can make it difficult for medical professionals to reach an accurate conclusion, even if a PSA test and biopsy are conducted.
Prostate cancer misdiagnosis statistics suggest that half of men with prostate cancer are misdiagnosed. The research, from Cambridge University, found that men were not only experiencing a failure to diagnose prostate cancer but were also being told they have a less serious form of the disease when they had more serious cancer. While diagnostic techniques have improved in recent years there’s still a chance for misdiagnosis of prostate cancer to occur
Read moreAs well as medical professionals concluding that the growth of the prostate gland is benign and down to age, it can also be diagnosed as other conditions. Prostate cancer diagnosed as prostatitis, which is the inflammation of the prostate gland, can occur.
If misdiagnosed prostate cancer does occur, it can have a serious impact on the treatment needed to cure or slow the spread of the disease and the survival rate.
Read lessThe treatment of prostate cancer varies from case to case and a multi-disciplinary team advises each patient. The treatment advised will depend on many factors, including the size and stage of the cancer, whether it has spread to other areas of the body and your general health. The best prostate cancer treatment will be different for each individual but in many cases, no treatment is necessary, with the symptoms being carefully monitored instead. This is usually chosen because prostate cancer is often non-aggressive and there are prostate cancer treatment side effects to consider. Treatment for prostate cancer includes:
Watchful waiting is often recommended for older men when it’s unlikely that prostate cancer will affect their natural lifespan. It means waiting to see if any symptoms of the cancer developing occur.
Read moreThe aim of active surveillance aims to avoid unnecessary treatment of harmless cancers. It’s estimated that up to two-thirds of men with prostate cancer do not need treatment. Active surveillance means keeping a close eye on the cancer, for instance regularly having PSA blood tests to see if levels continue to rise.
A radical prostatectomy is a surgery to remove the prostate gland. It is used to cure localised prostate cancer and locally-advanced prostate cancer. However, it does have potential side effects and risks, including being fatal in a small number of cases, and for around a third of men, it doesn’t remove all the cancerous cells, meaning the cancer can return after the operation.
Radiotherapy for prostate cancer is used to kill the cancerous cells and can be used to slow the progression of the disease or relieve symptoms. It is often used in conjunction with hormone therapy but can cause both short and long-term side effects, including the inability to obtain an erection and urinary incontinence.
Brachytherapy is a form of prostate cancer where it is delivered inside the prostate gland. It can deliver a high dose of radiation while minimising the risk to other, healthy tissue. Prostate cancer brachytherapy still carries the risk of sexual dysfunction and urinary problems.
Hormone therapy can be used as prostate cancer treatment and is often used with radiotherapy. It can improve the chances of success of radiotherapy and reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
For prostate cancer, chemotherapy is usually only used if the disease has spread to other parts of the body or is not responding to other treatment options.
Other treatment options are also available, including cryotherapy, trans-urethral resection of the prostate and high intensity focused ultrasound.
Read lessThe best treatment for prostate cancer varies between cases and you will be advised on which option is the most likely to be successful. No treatment is guaranteed to be successful and many have significant side effects, as a result, some men choose not to begin treatment immediately but instead monitor their conditions and symptoms to see how the cancer progresses.
The treatment of prostate cancer that is recommended for you will consider:
Read moreWhen you’re diagnosed with prostate cancer it will be graded and given a stage. The staging of prostate cancer indicates how serious the disease is, how likely it is to spread and has an impact on the course of treatment recommended.
Localised prostate cancer means that the cancerous cells are all contained within the prostate. In many cases, doctors will offer you active surveillance, where the cancer is frequently monitored, but you can choose to start treatment straight away. If you are classed as being low risk, treatment for prostate cancer can include surgery, external radiotherapy, brachytherapy. If you are found to have intermediate or high risk localised prostate cancer you usually begin treatment straight away.
If your cancer is described as locally advanced cancer it means the cancerous cells have spread to nearby tissue. In this instance, the best treatment for prostate cancer is often determined by whether you have any symptoms. If you don’t have any of the signs associated with prostate cancer you may not have treatment. If symptoms are present radiotherapy and hormone therapy are among the options. Surgery can be used but it isn’t a very common option for locally advanced cancer.
Advanced prostate cancer means the disease has spread to other parts of the body, such as the bones. In this case, treatment aims to control the cancer to prevent it from spreading to other areas of the body and maintaining a good quality of life. There are several treatment options for prostate cancer at this stage but which one is best will be down to each patient.
Read lessMore than 99% of prostate cancer is adenocarcinoma, where the cancerous cells develop in the gland cells. However, there are other types of prostate cancer, although they are very rare. Some rare prostate cancers don’t result in PSA levels increasing, meaning they are harder to detect, and, in some cases, they can be more aggressive or spread faster.
In the UK, there are around 130 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed every day, it is the second most common cancer. However, most cases are diagnosed during the early stages and the prostate cancer survival rate is good.
Read moreMore than 8 in 10 men diagnosed with prostate cancer survive their disease for ten years or more and 94% survive their disease for one year or more. The survival rate of prostate cancer has tripled in the last 40 years alone, an improvement that’s been attributed to PSA testing and detecting the disease at the earliest stage.
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