62-year old male recovered $1,500,000 for the failure to timely diagnose prostate cancer in Ulster County, New York.

In April, 2018, the patient, a former nuclear power technician, was diagnosed with metastatic, widespread stage IV prostate cancer. The basis for the lawsuit was the urology group’s failure to conduct prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood testing between March, 2015 and April, 2018.

The goal of screening for prostate cancer is to find cancer that may spread if not treated and to remove the cancer before it spreads. Detecting prostate cancer early can be critical. PSA is a blood test that is used to screen for prostate cancer. Elevated PSA results (above 4) may reveal prostate cancer that’s likely to spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).

The standard of care requires that primary care physicians and urologists offer PSA testing for male patients beginning at the age of 50, and the physician should explain the benefits and risks of PSA testing with their patients. However, the patient was not advised about the risks and benefits of PSA testing, and the urology group failed to order PSA testing for 3 years.

The delay in diagnosis of prostate cancer led to stage IV prostate cancer, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction and a substantially diminished life expectancy.