New Jersey Personal Injury Blog
New Jersey Failure to Diagnose Prostate Cancer Wrongful Death Case
BG Partner Michael Zerres was recently on trial in Union County, New Jersey in a case involving the death of a 76 year old man from prostate cancer. The man’s family alleged that his primary care physician failed to follow up on an abnormal PSA test result, by promptly referring him to an urologist.
Two years later, when the man began experiencing urinary tract symptoms, he was referred to an urologist by an urgent care facility physician. The urologist performed a digital rectal examination (DRE), PSA and biopsy which revealed the presence of a high-grade, advanced prostate cancer. Despite aggressive treatment, the man succumbed to his disease 15 months later.
The trial lasted 3 weeks, from June 28, 2010 until July 19, 2010, as the defendant physician had refused to sign a consent form which would have allowed his insurance company to settle the case. The defendant physician testified that he did, in fact, instruct the patient to see an urologist following the abnormal PSA, and, that the patient failed to follow his advice. However, this advice was not documented anywhere in the physician’s chart.
Finally, after plaintiff’s case had been put in its entirety, and with only two defense witnesses remaining, the defendant consented to settling the case following a full day of examination. The matter was then resolved for a confidential amount. The Honorable Lisa F. Chrystal presided over the trial.
Study Finds Too Few Resident Physicians Have Skills to Detect Melanoma
Medical researchers have found that many resident physicians have not been properly trained in skin cancer examinations. According to a news report in Health Day, researchers surveyed 342 resident physicians in family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and internal medicine. Information was collected about the physicians’ training and experience with melanoma exams as a well their level of skill and expertise in performing these skin cancer examinations.
Researchers found that training for skin cancer examination during residency was inadequate. In fact, this survey determined that 75.8 percent of residents were never trained in skin cancer examination and only 15.9 percent said they were skilled in conducting these types of exams.
Melanoma is the second most common cancer in Americans aged 15 to 29, and, 25 percent of melanomas are detected by doctors rather than patients. In addition, the study stated that skin cancers discovered by doctors are generally thinner and, as a result, have a better prognosis for cure. These statistics illustrate how important it is that doctors be properly trained in detecting these cancers and pre-cancerous conditions. This is extremely important when it comes to melanoma, which if not diagnosed until a later stage, is a potentially fatal skin malignancy.
It is, therefore, especially important that internists and family practitioners be in a position to accurately screen patients for melanoma. Physicians who are currently in training (in medical school or a residency program) who do not learn this skill, are less likely to ever become proficient at melanoma evaluations.
If you believe you or a loved one’s skin cancer was misdiagnosed or not timely diagnosed, contact the experienced attorneys at Blume Goldfaden for a no-cost consultation. Our attorneys have successfully handled numerous cases pertaining to failure to timely diagnose and treat various cancers. Call us at 973-635-5400.