Medical mistakes are responsible for an estimated 251,000 to 450,000 deaths in the US each year. Diagnostic errors are the most common type of medical mistake by health care providers. However, there are multiple types of diagnostic errors that could harm you or a loved one. The different types of diagnostic errors include but are […]
Category: Cancer Misdiagnosis Articles
Are Diagnostic Errors Medical Malpractice?
How Marilu Henner Saved Her Husband’s Life After a Bladder Cancer Misdiagnosis
When Marilu Henner’s husband, Michael Brown, began showing signs of bladder cancer, despite his doctor claiming it was not serious, she pushed him to get a second opinion. The second opinion revealed what Michael’s doctor had missed, which is that he had a life-threatening form of bladder cancer. Thankfully, Michael’s bladder cancer was treatable and […]
Cancer Misdiagnosis: Breast Cancer Misdiagnosed as Skin Rash?
Breast cancer misdiagnosed as a skin rash? While it might seem unlikely, it happened to a woman recently, and now she is working to raise awareness to help prevent others from suffering the same fate. Two years ago, the woman, whose story was featured in a KARE-TV report, noticed a slight discoloration that looked similar […]
What Should I Make Sure My Doctor Looks for During a Breast Exam?
Recently, we have featured blog posts highlighting instances of cancer misdiagnosis, including: Doctors mistaking cancer for mononucleosis A woman’s cancer being misdiagnosed as a migraine 14 times Breast cancer misdiagnosis leading to unnecessary breast removal surgery We trust medical professionals to not make mistakes as devastating as misdiagnosing cancer. However, as the above cases indicate, medical […]
Is It Dangerous to Do Your Own Breast Exam?
There was recently an article featured in Refinery29, a digital media outlet that focusses on women’s issues, that raised the questions as to whether you should do your own breast exam. As the Refinery29 piece points out, medical professionals have been recommending that patients perform their own breast examinations for decades. However, now it appears […]
Did Doctors Mistaking Cancer for Mono Nearly Cost a Child Her Life?
Could a doctor really mistake cancer for mononucleosis? That may have been the case recently when a 6-year-old girl was the victim of a cancer misdiagnosis involving her doctors mistaking symptoms of metastatic neuroblastoma for mono. How Did Doctors Mistake Cancer for Mononucleosis? Per KSDK-TV, a few years after she was born, the 6-year-old girl began […]
Could a Breast Cancer Misdiagnosis Really Lead to Breast Removal?
Late last year, the 2013 story of a woman who unnecessarily had breast removal surgery because of a breast cancer misdiagnosis made the news. Per the report, mere weeks after she was informed that she had breast cancer and underwent surgery to remove her left breast, the woman was called to meet with her surgeon. […]
Could I Get Cancer from the Household Products I Use?
You may have to rethink what household cleaning products you use after reading this. The Cheat Sheet, a news website that covers lifestyle topics, recently ran a story alleging some household products cause cancer. According to the Cheat Sheet piece, certain ingredients in the household items are carcinogens, which means they can cause cancer. Just because something is a […]
Is a New Tool Behind an Increase in Thyroid Cancer Misdiagnosis?
The US is one of several countries where thyroid cancer misdiagnosis appears to be on the rise, according to data collected in a recent study. Reportedly, the Aviano National Cancer Institute (ANCI) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) combined forces to conduct the study. The findings were revealed in The New England Journal of Medicine. […]
