Living with cancer is hard, and this unfortunate situation can be made even more difficult when medical professionals get things wrong.
Unfortunately, patient across the UK have experienced improper healthcare and been subject to critical mistakes in diagnosis. From delayed diagnosis to being wrongly prescribed cancer treatment, the consequences can be extremely challenging or even life-changing.
Below, we’ve reviewed just a few of the very real problems caused by such serious failures in the healthcare system.
What is cancer misdiagnosis?
Cancer misdiagnosis is a very serious form of medical negligence. It stems from failures in a medical setting, ranging from small administrative errors to misjudgements by inexperienced staff.
It can manifest in:
- Cancer being incorrectly diagnosed when the patient has a different and unrelated health condition;
- Failure to correctly find or identify cancer, causing health decline or progression of the disease;
- Cancer treatment being incorrectly prescribed, causing unnecessary suffering, pain, and time spent in hospital;
Unfortunately, one of the most prevalent types of cancer misdiagnosis involves excessively long appointment waiting lists. If someone is diagnosed with cancer in the UK, they should wait no longer than 2 months to start treatment.
3 consequences of cancer misdiagnosis
Long-term health complications
Patients can experience a huge range of unpleasant consequences when they receive incorrect medical treatment, or when the wrong type of cancer is diagnosed.
Sarah Roch, from Portsmouth, endured 10 years of misdiagnosis by the NHS and now faces terminal cancer. These types of avoidable errors seriously affect patients and leave them with further complications, which may include:
- A later diagnosis, often leading to poorer prognosis
- Pain, suffering, and additional health conditions
- Incorrect treatment, which can come with side effects
- Stress, anxiety and reduced overall well-being
Financial hardship
When a person or one of their closest family members suffers cancer misdiagnosis, the consequences can be catastrophic for earning potential.
Cancer patients typically need to take time off work for their treatment, so when this is combined with longer recovery times or serious decline in health, families often lose the support of their sole breadwinner.
This can be crippling for households who were already struggling financially. It also leaves individuals with lower confidence and reduced ability to return to work once they recover. Due to these financial concerns, many patients consider making cancer misdiagnosis claims and pursue the compensation they need to get back on track.
Loneliness and isolation
Finally, going through cancer treatment often involves spending extended periods in hospital. When this is paired with medical errors, which can force treatments to be delayed or extended, the possibility for isolation is very real.
Even when close family are allowed to visit in hospital, the world quickly becomes much smaller – and patients feel detached from previous normalities. It can be difficult for victims of cancer misdiagnosis to feel truly supported or to find people who understand what they’re going through.
Advocating for better practice
Cancer misdiagnosis can be devastating for patients and their families. Incorrect diagnoses often lead to delayed or inappropriate treatment, which almost always results in significant physical and emotional suffering.
By understanding the potential consequences of misdiagnosis, we can advocate for improved practices in healthcare and support those affected by this serious medical error.
