In Nigeria and globally there have been series of misdiagnosis of cancer, which has led to preventable death or great chance of treatment. Hence, it is usually advisable to seek for a second opinion once cancer is suspected through some unclear signs and symptoms.
Due to the widely misunderstood nature of cancer, cancer misdiagnosis is among the most common type of medical misdiagnosis. Cancer misdiagnosis can have devastating results for the patient. In cases where cancer is not identified or mistaken for another disease, patients may miss a critical window for treatment. As a result, the patient may experience severe worsening of their condition or death. When another disease is misdiagnosed as cancer, the patient may undergo unnecessary painful and emotionally tolling cancer treatment. Additionally, the undiagnosed disease may be left to progress and cause additional health complications. When misdiagnosis occurs, it can be difficult to find the necessary information to change diagnosis and the course of treatment for the patient. For these reasons, it is important for doctors and patients to explore all diagnosis options while carefully monitoring a diagnosed condition and its response to the provided treatment.