Cancer Screening
Screening tests aim to find cancer before it causes symptoms and when it may be easier to treat successfully.
finds cancer early
reduces the chance that someone who is screened regularly will die from the cancer
has more potential benefits than harms (possible harms of screening tests include bleeding or other physical damage, false-positive or false-negative test results, and overdiagnosis—the diagnosis of cancers that would not have caused problems and did not need treatment)
Cancer Diagnosis Confirmation
Cancer misdiagnosis is a subject of constant medical observation and study. Data reveals that cancer misdiagnosis can occur at an unusually high rate. According to the Journal of Clinical Oncology, cancer misdiagnosis occurs in up to 44 percent of cases. Due to the frequency of cancer misdiagnosis, it is important for doctors and patients to remain aware of the patient’s symptoms. When treatment for a certain condition is ineffective, patients are encouraged to consult one or more doctors who specialize in the bodily system that is most affected by the patient’s observable symptoms.
Cancer misdiagnosis often occurs due to imperfections or human error in the testing process. Cancer misdiagnosis from the testing process occurs as false positive and false negative test results. False positive cancer test results indicate that a cancer is present, although the patient does not truly have cancer. Adversely, false negative test results indicate that a cancer patient does not have cancer. In any event, faulty cancer screening results can have devastating results for the patient.
