The widow of a Pennsylvania man who died after his bladder cancer was misdiagnosed was awarded just under $2 million in her wrongful death case. The crux of her lawsuit was the claim that had the cancer been diagnosed in time, it could have been treated sooner and his life potentially spared.
According to court documents, Terrence Golden sought treatment from urologist Mila Smolko for urinary problems several times between September 2002 and January 2004, during which time he was diagnosed with an enlarged and inflamed prostate. A biopsy of Golden’s bladder was sent to a pathologist, but the cancer was missed again.
In June 2004 Golden went to a different doctor for a second opinion and it was then that his bladder cancer was discovered.
The problem with these late diagnoses lies in the amount of time that the cancer has been left to grow and spread in the meantime. In bladder cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, the prognosis depends on how early it is caught and how quickly treatments begin. If left untreated for a length of time, it can spread to other organs and make treatment less effective.
In Golden’s case, by the time it was finally caught, his bladder cancer spread to his prostate and sections of his urethra. He underwent surgery to have the affected areas removed but by then it was too late. The disease had progressed to the point that doctors were no longer able to control and treat it. Golden died in January of this year.
Misdiagnosing and failing to diagnose cancer can have life threatening consequences, and the doctors who are responsible must be held accountable for their negligence. Contact a medical attorney for more information about getting justice if you or your loved one is suffering after a cancer misdiagnosis.
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