Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer

Baltimore Attorneys Representing Victims of Negligent Prostate Cancer Treatment

Treatment options for prostate cancer vary depending on the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, overall health, and the aggressiveness of the cancer. When doctors act in accordance with accepted medical standards, they inform patients of appropriate treatment options and ensure that care is administered in a timely and effective manner. However, when a physician fails to properly evaluate, recommend, or implement suitable treatment options for prostate cancer, the results can be catastrophic. Patients may lose the opportunity for a cure or long-term remission, and their quality of life may decline dramatically. If you or someone close to you suffered harm due to a physician’s failure to recommend or provide appropriate prostate cancer treatment, the Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys at Arfaa Law Group can help. We are experienced in representing Maryland residents harmed by negligent cancer care and are dedicated to pursuing justice and compensation for those who have suffered preventable injuries.

The Importance of Appropriate Treatment Options for Prostate Cancer

Treatment options for prostate cancer must be determined based on the cancer’s stage, whether it has spread, and the patient’s personal and medical circumstances. Early-stage prostate cancer is often highly treatable, and patients may have multiple choices available, such as active surveillance, surgery to remove the prostate gland, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, or newer targeted and immunologic treatments. Physicians must provide patients with a thorough understanding of the risks and benefits of each treatment approach and help them make informed decisions based on the best available medical evidence.

Unfortunately, doctors sometimes fail to recommend proper treatment options for prostate cancer, either by misinterpreting diagnostic results, delaying referrals to specialists, or failing to follow recognized guidelines for cancer care. A doctor who dismisses elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, for example, or fails to act after an abnormal biopsy, may allow the disease to progress from a localized stage, where it can often be successfully treated, to an advanced stage that is much more difficult to treat. In other cases, physicians may fail to advise patients of potentially life-prolonging therapies, such as radiation or androgen-deprivation therapy following surgery, leaving patients without the full benefit of available treatment options.

These lapses in care can have devastating consequences. As the cancer advances, it may spread to nearby lymph nodes, bones, or other organs, significantly decreasing the likelihood of survival and increasing the need for aggressive treatment. Patients may experience unnecessary pain, prolonged suffering, and psychological distress as a result of a doctor’s inaction or poor judgment.

Establishing Negligence in a Maryland Medical Malpractice Claim

Under Maryland law, patients harmed by a physician’s failure to recommend appropriate treatment options for prostate cancer may pursue a claim for medical malpractice based on negligence. To succeed, a plaintiff must establish four essential elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

The existence of a doctor-patient relationship establishes a legal duty of care. This duty requires physicians to exercise the same level of skill, care, and knowledge that a reasonably competent doctor in the same specialty would provide under similar circumstances. In prostate cancer cases, this standard of care includes timely ordering of diagnostic tests, accurate interpretation of results, and proper recommendation of the available treatment options appropriate for the stage and severity of the disease. A breach of this duty occurs when a physician’s actions or omissions fall short of what a reasonably prudent medical professional would have done in similar circumstances, for example, by delaying treatment, failing to recommend surgery when indicated, or neglecting to refer the patient to an oncologist.

Once a breach is established, the plaintiff must prove causation, that is, that the doctor’s failure to recommend or provide appropriate treatment directly caused harm. In the context of prostate cancer, this might mean showing that, had treatment been initiated earlier or more aggressively, the cancer would not have metastasized or the patient’s prognosis would have been significantly better. Generally, expert testimony is used to establish both the applicable standard of care and the causal connection between the physician’s negligence and the patient’s injury.

The final element, damages, refers to the harm suffered by the patient. Recoverable damages may include medical expenses, the cost of future treatment, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and compensation for pain and suffering. In cases of death caused by negligent care, surviving family members may pursue wrongful death damages.

Consult a Skilled Baltimore Medical Malpractice Attorney

The failure to recommend or administer appropriate treatment options for prostate cancer can have devastating, lifelong consequences. If you or a loved one suffered harm due to a doctor’s failure to recommend or provide suitable prostate cancer treatment, you should consult an attorney as soon as possible. Maryland law imposes strict deadlines on filing medical malpractice claims, and early legal intervention allows for a thorough investigation and preservation of critical evidence. At Arfaa Law Group, our skilled Baltimore medical malpractice attorneys understand what it takes to prevail in claims against careless physicians, and if you engage our services, we will fight for the justice you deserve. Our office is in Baltimore and represents clients throughout Maryland who have been harmed by medical negligence. You can reach us at 410-889-1850 or contact us through our online form to schedule a consultation and discuss your legal rights and options.