subject: Common Reasons for Cancer Misdiagnosis [print this page] Common Reasons for Cancer Misdiagnosis
Cancer is a complicated disease, and as such, there are many ways in which it can be mishandled by doctors. Misdiagnosis is one of the biggest problems for patients in today's medical world. This can cause serious consequences since it is often imperative that cancer treatment be done quickly. With that in mind, what are some of the most common reasons for cancer misdiagnosis? There are plenty of possibilities ranging from misinterpretation of test results, lack of a test, and refusal to refer a patient to a specialist.
Misinterpreting test results
One of the most common reasons for misdiagnosis has to do with misinterpreting test results or improperly performing a test. The most commonly used test for cells is the biopsy. This process requires the doctor to properly perform a complicated process and then properly read the results from the test. Some doctors will mess up on the front end, not taking the affected cells. Others will mess up when trying to form conclusions from the data. This can be especially dangerous because a doctor may feel as if he has come to a correct conclusion. Though unfortunate, this happens often in the medical world.
Lack of a test
In some instances, a doctor will misconstrue the signs and symptoms of cancer, believing that the patient is suffering from something else. Because of this, the doctor will recommend tests for the patient that do not even reveal cancer and are not meant to reveal cancer. The danger with this mistake is that it kills time. Though the doctor may eventually figure out that cancer is the proper diagnosis, he or she will spend valuable time testing for other diseases. This raises the cost of treatment for the patient and decreases the opportunity to survive for the patient.
Refusal to refer
In some instances, a more qualified doctor would be able to offer a better opinion. Specialization is the key in today's medical world, so there are always doctors that are experts on certain conditions. One common reason for misdiagnosis is when doctors, for one reason or another, refuse to recommend another doctor for their patients. This might stem from a wide range of different motivations, but the result is the same for the person who is left with cancer. It is never a positive and the problem could have easily been fixed with a simple referral to a more qualified doctor.
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