Did anyone get misdiagnosed in the beginning?

Coloman

When I first had a problem I went to my PCP. He said we needed a CT scan. After the scan, the radiologist that read the scan said there was nothing to worry about. The scan showed some lymph nodes that were swollen and he described them as "Unimpressive". Or nothing to worry about.
If I would have left it at that I wouldn't be here today. I pushed the matter and said I want further tests. A colonoscopy revealed that I had colon cancer. I wanted a colonoscopy to start with! I think this falls squarely on the malpractice side of things. I could have died. This is just one more reminder to me that I need to go to a larger facility when I have anything seriously wrong.

Carool

Coloman, I, too, was told by a radiologist that “It’s nothing, come back in a year.” Mine was a breast lump. She didn’t take a needle biopsy but did give me a mammogram and sonogram. Neither showed that the lump was malignant or even questionable. Luckily for me, my gynecologist got the radiologist’s report, called me, and suggested I see another radiologist, because I hadn’t had the lump when she’d examined me a few months prior, and she said that sonograms usually find cysts, and if my lump was just a cyst, the sonogram should’ve picked it up. (As an aside, I’m surprised the sonogram didn’t still pick up the cancer, but that’s another story.)

Had I listened to the radiologist, I might be long gone. From then on, I’d never go to a single-practitioner radiologist, only a team of many.

GregP_WN

Not in the beginning, or my first or second diagnosis. But for my third I had a similar experience with my PCP. He said do a CT scan. I don't have insurance that will pay the 5K that it winds up costing, so I wanted to skip it and go straight to a needle biopsy. He insisted I have one because it would tell us what we needed to know. Same results, nothing to see here folks, no cancer in here.
One week later, I had the needle biopsy, one week after that I was told I had squamous cell carcinoma. And 5K in debt for a test I didn't need.

Teachertina

I got the runaround for 6 months until I insisted on a ct scan, found huge tumor in one kidney, surgery to remove kidney and spleen damaged during surgery. Listen to your body! That was 14 years ago and 2 recurring tumors that meant more surgeries to remove. That scan saved my life!

Dawsonsmom

This could have happened to me. Routine MRI (secondary to BRCA1) showed one spot in each breast in exactly the same place in each breast. My team thought it was something idiopathic to my breasts. Radiologist said if it weren’t for the BRCA1, she would send me on my way, but ordered biopsy. Results were malignancy in the right breast. So, my breast cancer was found early bc of close monitoring secondary to BRCA1. Genetic testing was definitely worth it.

Sasukesuma

I was told multiple time that I had diverticulitis. No testing at all. Finally I when i went in to see my PCP and couldn’t stop vomiting, he sent me for a ct. Fallopian tube cancer, it had metastasized to my omementum, appendix, and colon.

po18guy

Yes. Found a tumor behind my left ear. Went to (new to me) PCP told of family history of cancer. Got anxiety meds! Ended up diagnosing myself with a failed immune system, so I walked away, never looked back. Grew more tumors quickly. Went to surgeon and had one out. He told me "If you ever hear the word 'wait' from a doctor, run for your life" Went to oncologist who did bone marrow biopsy. Pathologist saw only "Abnormal B and T cells", so oncologist wanted to "wait." We ran.

Very long story, but went to SCCA/Fred Hutch in Seattle. Received a proper diagnosis and in my 12th year of treatment for what developed into three simultaneous cancers, a stem cell transplant, blah blah blah. Second opinions save lives - of that I have zero doubt.

BobsProstate

Not misdiagnosed, but almost not diagnosed at all. I had to keep pressing the matter that something was wrong and it needed to be checked further.

JaneA

When I told my PCP about my rectal bleeding, he told me that it was probably hemorrhoids and began to write me a prescription for steroid suppositories. I told him that "probably" was not good enough and that I wanted to be referred for a colonoscopy.

Fast forward, got the referral and saw the PA. She did a digital rectal exam and felt a tumor. After colonoscopy and staging scans, I was already Stage IV. Trust your gut feeling, you know your body better than anyone else.