12% cancers initially misdiagnosed

According to a recent study, 12% of cases of cancer are misdiagnosed due to insensitive results, poor sampling techniques and reader error, leading to prolonged testing, delayed treatment, increased health expenditure and anxiety for the patient. The main concern from the report and health officials is that cancer in some patients is being missed in the early presentation. However, persisting symptoms often cause the physician to repeat testing, leading to a diagnosis of cancer and foregoing harm to the patient. The researchers are hoping to provide a method of decreasing the error detection rate by introducing universal standards to health care facilities.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Forbes

Related Disease Topics:

• Cancer

Article Source Details

About: 12% cancers initially misdiagnosed

Date: 10 October 2005

Source: Forbes

Author: Alan Moses

URL: http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/10/10/hscout528435.html

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and cancer
• Misdiagnosis and gynecological cancer
• Misdiagnosis and non-gynecological cancer
• Misdiagnosis and cancer symptoms
• Misdiagnosis and tissue biopsy
• Misdiagnosis and tissue sampling
• Misdiagnosis and blood tests
• Misdiagnosis and treatment
• Misdiagnosis and reader error
• Misdiagnosis and cancer detection
• Undiagnosed
• Undiagnosed and cancer
• Undiagnosed and gynecological cancer
• Undiagnosed and non-gynecological cancer
• Research
• Research and cancer
• Research and gynecological cancer
• Research and non-gynecological cancer
• Research and cancer detection
• Research and cancer investigation
• Medical error
• Medical error and cancer
• Medical error and cancer detection
• Medical error and gynecological cancer
• Medical error and non-gynecological cancer
• Medical error and cancer investigation
• Medical error and reader error