California residents trust their doctors and expect the best care from them. Sadly, certain types of cancer are commonly misdiagnosed, which can have devastating effects on patients and their families.
How often is cancer misdiagnosed?
Data shows that 10 to 28% of all patients who have cancer are misdiagnosed. However, researchers believe the number is much higher.
Additionally, only around 12% of patients seek a second opinion. Any type of cancer could go misdiagnosed, but certain types are more commonly misdiagnosed in patients.
What are the cancers most frequently diagnosed?
Certain types of cancer can mimic the symptoms of other diseases, which could explain why they might go misdiagnosed. However, a misdiagnosis of any cancer can mean the difference between survival and death for a patient.
Lymphoma is the number one most commonly misdiagnosed type of cancer. This is due to its symptoms being similar to those in other medical conditions.
Breast cancer is another type of cancer that commonly gets misdiagnosed. Sometimes, mammogram screenings miss the diagnosis in early stages. When the cancer is detected early enough, it’s one of the most treatable. However, when misdiagnosed, breast cancer can progress to later stages and become deadly.
Colorectal cancer is also commonly misdiagnosed. If a patient has polyps, they should be removed as this increases the risk of developing colon cancer. Doctors who don’t act in this situation could be held liable through medical malpractice claims.
Lung cancer is often diagnosed when it’s too late. However, it’s also often misdiagnosed due to symptoms sometimes being absent in early stages. Once symptoms begin, patients are often misdiagnosed as having another condition.
Skin cancer is often one of the most curable cancers, but melanoma is deadly. If it’s misdiagnosed, it can progress to later stages and threaten the patient’s life.
Cancer misdiagnosis can lead to extra medical expenses as well as personal harm. If you’ve been misdiagnosed, you may have a claim for malpractice to seek compensation.
