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The causes of delayed cancer diagnoses

On Behalf of | Apr 9, 2020 | Injuries

The battle against cancer calls for as much preparation as possible. Every day counts when you are fighting to survive this dangerous disease. Your doctor is your greatest weapon in this war and you want to be sure they are capable of defending you.

In recent times, many obstacles have made it more difficult for doctors to diagnose illnesses on time. You cannot fight cancer if you do not know you have it. If your doctor takes more time than necessary to diagnose a patient, they are putting their patient’s life at risk.

Why is there a delay in diagnosis?

The difference in survival rates of cancer varies greatly between different stages. Patients are considerably more likely to survive their cancer if they receive their diagnosis in stage 1 instead of stage 2. If it is so important to diagnose cancer as early as possible, why does it happen? Here are some common reasons:

Insufficient screening tests

From not having enough tests to inaccurate tests doctors find themselves lacking ways to diagnose on time or properly. Mammograms, colonoscopies, and PSA blood tests are three of the most common forms of testing for cancers, but they each have their shortcomings when it comes to finding the deadly disease.

Doctors do not recognize the symptoms

There are many symptoms of cancer, and it is easy for doctors to confuse cancer symptoms as signs of something else. This can be especially dangerous, as the treatment your doctor may be offering for a false illness can make your cancer worse.

Doctors pursue a more cost-effective suspicion

Cancer is an extremely expensive illness. Hospital management may discourage doctors from pursuing costly tests that do not seem necessary. This can result in inaccurate diagnoses of Irritable Bowel Syndrome instead of colon cancer.

Know the causes to fight misdiagnoses

Patients are very receptive to trusting their doctors, which can contribute to accepting a diagnosis that is not accurate. Do not be afraid to get a second opinion in your diagnosis, and watch out for these signs of misdiagnosis.