Prostate cancer is a cancer that can often be treated if it is discovered in time.  The reason this is so is because of the rate at which the prostate cancer grows (relatively slowly as compared to others).  A failure to diagnose prostate cancer case is often built upon the failure to test for cancer regularly with a routine PSA test or for a failure to followup on symptoms that are appearing.

Prostate Cancer Health Center

Patients who received Herceptin and chemotherapy had a 52 percent
decrease in disease recurrence compared to those treated with
chemotherapy alone, according to the institute.

This is reported in mainstream news today.  Genentech’s drug Herceptin was in a study and they cut the study short because of the increase in survival rate for certain breast cancer victims.

CNN Article   Genentech Breast Cancer Breakthrough

MSNBC Article Drug Helps fight return of Breast Cancer

I’ve spoken about misdiagnosis of cancer before and today I ran across this story concerning a development in breast cancer treatment.  It targets the gene that allows the breast cancer cells to replicate.

Link to a summary

Link to NPR Audio Clip

This case was about a child who dies shortly after birth.  The claim was that the brain injury was due to manipulation of the baby while still in the uterus.   A couple of comments I want to make about the article. 

First, the defense said what they always do after a verdict goes against them.  I mentioned this earlier in another Blog I write covering NH Law

Anytime you see an award from a jury, the first words out of the
defense spokesman’s mouth are something to effect of…"We are
disappointed with the decision of the jury we will certainly appeal
this result.  Yadda Yadda."  That’s what they have to say.  Sometimes
they will actually appeal and other times they say this and then go
talk with the plaintiff’s lawyers and see if they can settle. (My words)

Second, in this article the defense supposedly claims that the child’s injuries (bleeding in the brain) were caused by the child being born so early at 35 weeks.  35 weeks is certainly not 40 weeks which is what everyone considers full term, BUT it not that early.  I personally would expect to see a higher risk of a brain bleed in real premature babies, but 35 weeks is not what I would consider premature.

Now keep in mind that a lot goes in to reviewing and pursuing a case and I have not seen any of it in this matter.  In general when you review a birth injury malpractice case you have to look at reams and reams of medical records and them have all those records reviewed by experts who then will be willing to testify.  In order for this medical negligence case to have reached a 3.8 million dollar verdict, the  plaintiff’s attorney must have had  experts stating that the bleed was not  from the  age of the baby, but because of the efforts the doctor made to move the baby around while still inside the uterus.

Source:  Tuscaloosa News