A Palm Beach Gardens gastroenterologist defeated a multimillion-dollar claim that he rushed through a patient's colonoscopy and missed burgeoning cancer.

Dr. David Vastola's attorneys won the Aug. 15 defense verdict by arguing the patient had an atypically fast-developing disease, which led Vastola to find no cause for concern during a 2011 colonoscopy and then discover advanced-stage colon cancer in 2013.

“As I told the jury in the closing, and as most people understand, cancer doesn't necessary follow any particular guidelines or rules,” said defense attorney Keith Puya of the Law Offices of Keith J. Puya in Palm Beach Gardens. “Cancer behaves and acts differently with everybody.”