When you have a serious illness or medical issue, your chances of making a full recovery improve greatly when you receive a proper diagnosis within a timely fashion. Yet, many doctors across Texas and the rest of the nation misdiagnose certain medical conditions, and when they do so, the implications may prove life-altering.
Per Medical News Today, timely diagnosis is particularly important when a patient has cancer. The longer cancer goes untreated, the higher the chances of it metastasizing or migrating to other areas of the body. Many doctors misdiagnose kidney cancer, in particular, and when they do so, they often tell patients they have kidney stones instead.
How often kidney cancer misdiagnosis occurs
According to one study, about 45% of patients who have kidney cancer receive an incorrect medical diagnosis. Often, doctors tell patients who have kidney cancer that they have either urine infections or kidney stones.
Why kidney cancer misdiagnosis occurs
The main reason many doctors misdiagnose kidney cancer as kidney stones is that the two conditions have similar symptoms. Often, patients who have both conditions experience severe back pain on one side. They are also prone to having fevers or blood in their urine when suffering from both conditions. However, there are other symptoms that may manifest when you have kidney cancer. A lump on your back, unexplained weight loss and anemia are all symptoms more often associated with kidney cancer than kidney stones.
If a doctor diagnosed you with kidney stones, consider seeking a second medical opinion so that you may rule out the possibility of kidney cancer.
