Our medical negligence solicitors secured a six-figure sum for a man after the delayed diagnosis of urethral cancer resulted in the amputation and reconstruction of his penis.

In January 2007, Mr Jones visited his local GP after finding a small lump in the shaft of his penis. He was referred to the urology department at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, and attended an appointment in April 2007. A clinical specialist there examined him and advised that the swelling was most likely a cyst, discharging him without any advice or plan for follow up.

The lump had increased in size by the end of 2007 and Mr Jones was suffering from other urological symptoms. His GP referred him back to the urology clinic in April 2008 and, in the next few months, a series of scans and a biopsy were carried out. No positive diagnosis was made, and this was a source of reassurance for our client.

Mr Jones was told on 8 July 2008 that he had urethral cancer – the first indication he’d received concerning his diagnosis. After referral to University College Hospital, London, he was advised that he may need to undergo total amputation of the penis.

In August 2008, Mr Jones started chemotherapy treatment but it was sadly unsuccessful. He underwent total penectomy (amputation of the penis) in January 2009.

Over the next two years, Mr Jones subsequently had a series of operations to reconstruct his penis.
The Hospital Trust admitted that there would have been an earlier diagnosis and less invasive surgery, had the correct urological testing taken place during the early stages of Mr Jones’ referral.

Marcos Eleftheriou, an expert medical negligence solicitor at our London office, worked hard to secure a six-figure sum in compensation for Mr Jones’ delayed diagnosis and the resulting need for radical surgery.
Marcos said: “This case shows the importance of taking seriously any symptoms that might be cancer-related, and doing everything possible to rule out such a diagnosis.

“Mr Jones went through a terrible ordeal that might have been much less severe if he’d been tested correctly at the first opportunity. Although compensation cannot make up for what Mr Jones went through, we hope that lessons have been learnt to stop the same thing happening again to someone else.”

Commenting on the case, Mr Jones said: “I found Irwin Mitchell to be helpful, informative and very easy to talk to. Some men would have had difficulty taking about what had happened to them but I was put totally at ease.”

If your have suffered due to a delayed cancer diagnosis or a cancer misdiagnosis, our medical negligence lawyers could help you claim compensation. Call 0808 163 4557 for a free initial consultation or see our Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims page for more details.

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