Texas Cancer Misdiagnosis: Serious Biopsy Mistakes

This week we have been talking about how exactly cancer misdiagnosis happens, including incomplete physicals, missed symptoms, and unordered tests. However, one of the most common forms of cancer misdiagnosis comes when a lab or pathologist misreads the result of a biopsy.
What is a biopsy?
A biopsy is a medical test used to diagnose cancer. During a biopsy, a piece of tissue is surgically removed from a patient and examined for cancerous cells by a pathologist – by microscope and sometimes chemically.
How does biopsy cancer misdiagnosis happen?
A biopsy can lead to several types of cancer misdiagnosis:

• A pathologist mistakes a malignant cancer for benign cancer.
• A pathologist diagnosis a patient with the wrong type or class of cancer.
• A pathologist misses a cancer diagnosis altogether.
• A pathologist makes a cancer diagnosis from a non-cancerous sample.
• A pathologist misjudges how far or fast a cancer has spread.

These mistakes are far more common than many realize. A study conducted at The Johns Hopkins Hospital found that one out of 71 biopsy slides were read incorrectly by pathologists.
What should you do about biopsy mistakes and cancer misdiagnosis?
To prevent becoming a victim of a biopsy mistake or cancer misdiagnosis, be sure that you get a second opinion from a pathologist who specializes in reading biopsy slides. If you or a loved one have already been misdiagnosed because of a misread biopsy – and suffered harm as a result – you may wish to speak with a Texas medical malpractice attorney. Call the Rasansky Law Office today at (214) 651-6100 to learn more about your case.