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Explaining why cancer can be misdiagnosed

On Behalf of | Feb 1, 2019 | Failure To Diagnose |

Receiving a cancer diagnosis is one of the most frightening, stressful and difficult times in a person’s life. You might not know what to expect when it comes to treatment, care and other avenues taken by your doctor. But, what if your cancer has been misdiagnosed? How can you spot the signs of a possible misdiagnosis? Let’s take a look at those signs in today’s post so you know if you have been misdiagnosed.

One of the most common causes of a cancer misdiagnosis is an improperly performed test. If a screening test, such as a colonoscopy, is not done correctly, it will not provide doctors with accurate results that can show if cancer is present in the body.

Another common reason why cancer is misdiagnosed is the incorrect reading of a screening or other type of test. For example, a doctor might miss the presence of a tumor or other signal of cancer on a CT scan, an X-ray or an MRI.

Failing to obtain a biopsy is another common cause of cancer misdiagnosis. Maybe you went to the dermatologist because you found a bump on your skin. If the dermatologist did not order a biopsy of the area and you later develop melanoma, you are a victim of misdiagnosis.

A cancer misdiagnosis can turn your life upside down in an instant. Whether the misdiagnosis was missing the cancer or diagnosing you with the wrong type of cancer or another condition or disease completely, it can be a problem with how care is administered. If you believe you’ve been the victim of a misdiagnosis, find out what your legal options are.

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