The prostate is a small gland in men located deep inside the groin that produces the seminal fluid which helps the sperm travel and survive. The seminal fluid that the prostate produces includes enzymes like PSA which can be measured as part of screening for prostate cancer. The gland itself surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra.  It is a relatively common cancer in Ireland with approximately 4,000 men diagnosed annually which is 1 in 7 men will at some stage in their life be diagnosed with prostate cancer.  It is the second most common cancer to affect men in Ireland after skin cancer.

The majority of prostate cancer begins to develop at the back of the prostrate near the rectum. The growths in the prostrate can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). The cancerous growths can break away cells which can travel through the blood or lymph nodes and reattach on other parts of the body such as the bladder or bones and develop new tumours.  There are many symptoms of prostate cancer which can include blood in the urine, blood in the semen, difficulty passing urine, weight loss including loss of appetite and erectile dysfunction.  After presentation with the GP a referral should be made to a urologist and treatment may be further considered by a radiation oncologist and sometimes an oncologist also.  Diagnosing prostate cancer can include a digital rectal exam (DRE) to physically examine the prostate and also prostate specific antigen tests (PSA) which essentially is a blood sample to measure the PSA in the blood and an elevated reading can indicate various complications including cancer.  Diagnosing can include various radiological examinations such as ultrasound and MRI as well as prostate biopsy which is a collection of a sample of the prostate tissue.

Prostate cancer misdiagnosis

Treatment of prostate cancer can be determined by several considerations such as how far the cancer may have spread and the overall health of the man and perhaps how fast the cancer is growing.  Treatment can include surgery to remove the prostate entirely (radical prostatectomy), some surrounding tissue to include lymph nodes as well as radiation therapy such as external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy).  There are various other treatments such as hormone therapy which can reduce the amount of testosterone produced, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted drug treatments.

For a successful medical negligence claim it would be required to prove that the delay in diagnosing the prostate cancer caused the disease to progress and spread where it otherwise may not have.  Typical cases we have seen involve inadequate examination of the patient either at presentation to the GP or at referral with a urologist or other consultant, and also failure by the consultant to refer for further investigations, or indeed make mistakes interpreting the investigations.

Our prostate cancer misdiagnosis solicitors

If you or a loved one have suffered harm because of negligent delay or misdiagnosis of prostate cancer, then you may be able to make a claim for compensation. It is important you seek advice as soon as possible to protect your legal rights. We believe in putting you our client first and we are committed to achieving the best result possible while all the time remaining sensitive to your needs. Please feel free to reach out to us below and will be pleased to discuss your case and offer no obligation advice.

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