Misdiagnosis by the Doctor

[Heidict]

Our next door neighbor had been complaining of a sore throat off and on for a couple of weeks.

Right before the holiday he goes into to see his PCP about it. The guy looks at it and runs a strep, which came back negative.

He then tells the neighbor, "this is throat cancer so I'm going to send you to see an ENT".

Of course, the friend is freaking out because he is thinking that he is going to die and because he now has to wait over the holiday weekend to see the ENT.

Well, he went to see the specialist on Monday. The guy looks at his throat and says "this isn't throat cancer, it's tonsillitis".

I am just in shock that not only did the pcp miss a case of tonsillitis, which I would assume he would see all the time, but also that he would just come out and tell someone that they have cancer without running any tests or anything.

Some doctors should have no patient contact. Needless to say, the neighbor will be getting a new PCP.

 

[stsomewhere]

Our next door neighbor had been complaining of a sore throat off and on for a couple of weeks.

Right before the holiday he goes into to see his PCP about it. The guy looks at it and runs a strep, which came back negative.

He then tells the neighbor, "this is throat cancer so I'm going to send you to see an ENT".

Of course, the friend is freaking out because he is thinking that he is going to die and because he now has to wait over the holiday weekend to see the ENT.

Well, he went to see the specialist on Monday. The guy looks at his throat and says "this isn't throat cancer, it's tonsillitis".

I am just in shock that not only did the pcp miss a case of tonsillitis, which I would assume he would see all the time, but also that he would just come out and tell someone that they have cancer without running any tests or anything.

Some doctors should have no patient contact. Needless to say, the neighbor will be getting a new PCP.

My mother in law had her tonsils removed over Christmas. She had tonsillitis so bad for a few months. She developed tonsil stones. The ENT told her that they could be cancer and would biopsy it when she had the tonsils removed

 

[Heidict]

My mother in law had her tonsils removed over Christmas. She had tonsillitis so bad for a few months. She developed tonsil stones. The ENT told her that they could be cancer and would biopsy it when she had the tonsils removed

I hope everything came out okay on the biopsy and her surgery.

 

[npmommie]

Our next door neighbor had been complaining of a sore throat off and on for a couple of weeks.

Right before the holiday he goes into to see his PCP about it. The guy looks at it and runs a strep, which came back negative.

He then tells the neighbor, "this is throat cancer so I'm going to send you to see an ENT".

Of course, the friend is freaking out because he is thinking that he is going to die and because he now has to wait over the holiday weekend to see the ENT.

Well, he went to see the specialist on Monday. The guy looks at his throat and says "this isn't throat cancer, it's tonsillitis".

I am just in shock that not only did the pcp miss a case of tonsillitis, which I would assume he would see all the time, but also that he would just come out and tell someone that they have cancer without running any tests or anything.

Some doctors should have no patient contact. Needless to say, the neighbor will be getting a new PCP.

are you sure your neighbor heard the doc correctly? I don't know too many doctors who will offer such a definitive diagnosis without testing and confirmation.

he may have said " I am sending you to see an ENT this could possibly be cancer" and he may have said that based on your neighbors health history and what he found on physical examination.

 

[Heidict]

are you sure your neighbor heard the doc correctly? I don't know too many doctors who will offer such a definitive diagnosis without testing and confirmation.

he may have said " I am sending you to see an ENT this could possibly be cancer" and he may have said that based on your neighbors health history and what he found on physical examination.

Who knows if he is telling it accurately. He just said that the doctor looked at his throat and said "this is cancer, i'm sending you to see and throat specialist".

I think I'm a bit more shocked over the fact that a pcp doesn't recognize tonsillitis. I have had it a few times and never had a pcp that batted an eye or debated the diagnosis.

He is a healthy 38 year old male. Doesn't smoke and only drinks socially. Of course I don't know the details of his previous visits or health issues, so who knows.

 

[JessicaR]

So thats a doctor your neighbor should replace. It happens. Hard to believe a doctor would be so bold to call it cancer by sight alone. Or, maybe the neighbor got it wrong.

 

[MomRN]

I had a doctor misdiagnose my son (18 months at the time)... said he had tonsillitis, and he had an abcess (MRSA). Because I didn't believe that diagnosis, I went to the ER and they diagnosed him with a swollen lympth node/possible tumor. After a couple days of freaking out I demanded an ENT consult, and he drained the infection.

All the while I'm trying to tell them it's an infection of some sort that isn't responding to antibiotics because it would fluncuate in size. But, you know, what would I know, being his mom and a nurse and all.

Get another doctor.

 

[kirbsam]

no doctor would tell a patient that. think your neighbor is exaggerating. even the worst doctor would never do that.

 

[abdmom]

I had a doctor misdiagnose my son (18 months at the time)... said he had tonsillitis, and he had an abcess (MRSA). Because I didn't believe that diagnosis, I went to the ER and they diagnosed him with a swollen lympth node/possible tumor. After a couple days of freaking out I demanded an ENT consult, and he drained the infection.

All the while I'm trying to tell them it's an infection of some sort that isn't responding to antibiotics because it would fluncuate in size. But, you know, what would I know, being his mom and a nurse and all.

Get another doctor.

Um, since when is tonsillitis/abcess/MRSA not an infection?

 

[LuvOrlando]

no doctor would tell a patient that. think your neighbor is exaggerating. even the worst doctor would never do that.

Hate to say it but yes they would. My DH had a fatty liver. He had a few CT scans. A shadow was discovered by the Radiologist & he said Pancreatic Cancer. We went to a General Surgeon who agreed and surgery was scheduled. I said WHOA and too DH to Sloan Kettering. Dr's there took one look and said no Cancer, his Gall Bladder was long and flopped over like a thumb tip which cast a shadow on the Pancreas. Sloan Dr noticed DH had previous scans. Sloan Dr called Radiologist t ask why he didn't look at the previous scans and studies ect, Sloan Dr was VERY TICKED. I don't blame my PCP because this wasn't his specialty but oth the Radiologist and Surgeon failed my DH.

Some Dr's are just appallingly bad and shouldn't have licenses but the AMA is terrible at policing it's own. It's like the SEC being run by Wall Street. with medical stuff I think it is always best to get a second opinion and in the case of Cancer, shell out the money for a big name reputable hospital for confirmation and advice for treatment. I am always astonished how local Dr's are so much more careful when they know you have big league Dr's looking over their shoulders, more than once they have been worth hundreds of times more than the fees.

The way I see it if i can afford $300 for a ticket to WDW I can afford $300 to see a world renowned Dr.

 

[mickeyboat]

I went to the doctor for a sinus infection a year and a half ago. He told me it wasn't a sinus infection, it was a chronic nerve condition, often called the suicide disease because the pain is so excruciating.

After trying a couple of meds, I begged to see a neurologist, who did a cat scan - 2 actually. Mind you it was 6 months later when the neurologist diagnosed me with - guess what - an incredibly involved sinus infection. I was in terrible pain for a really long time. Now I have to see an ENT every couple of months because of some of the effects of the infection.

I guess I wish that when PCPs don't really know what is going on, they would either do more testing, or refer you to someone who can figure it out.

 

[stsomewhere]

I went to the doctor for a sinus infection a year and a half ago. He told me it wasn't a sinus infection, it was a chronic nerve condition, often called the suicide disease because the pain is so excruciating.

After trying a couple of meds, I begged to see a neurologist, who did a cat scan - 2 actually. Mind you it was 6 months later when the neurologist diagnosed me with - guess what - an incredibly involved sinus infection. I was in terrible pain for a really long time. Now I have to see an ENT every couple of months because of some of the effects of the infection.

I guess I wish that when PCPs don't really know what is going on, they would either do more testing, or refer you to someone who can figure it out.

My son-11 had such a severe sinus infection last year, he had to be hospitalized. The infection was eroding his facial bone from the inside.
We had made many trips to the PCP for a few months before. We were told it was a virus. The only reason wee found out was we took him to the ER because his head hurt so bad.

Boy, does the PCP believe us now when we say it is a sinus infection.

 

[Abbie]

I know you're only reporting what your neighbor said but I'm having a difficult time believing any reputable doctor would flat out say "this is cancer" without a plethora of tests and double-checking. Like another poster suggested, he may have said "it might be a cancer but..." but as soon as that "c" word comes up lots of patients don't hear another word that's said. If it really happened the way he reported then I agree it's time to move on to someone else.

We like to think of doctors as infallible but medicine is really an inexact science. So many conditions mimic others that there are bound to be misdiagnoses sometimes but it doesn't necessarily make for a poor doctor. After all, if they are so good at doctoring, why do we call what they do "practicing"??

 

[Alison Wonderland]

I also dont think a primary care physician would look at a throat and say "You have cancer." Maybe a specialist or radiologist would after reviewing tests but not a PCP.
I think the neighbor was probably told that it could be cancer and you need to see a specialist or something similar.

 

[rainydayplay]

I had a doctor misdiagnose my son (18 months at the time)... said he had tonsillitis, and he had an abcess (MRSA). Because I didn't believe that diagnosis, I went to the ER and they diagnosed him with a swollen lympth node/possible tumor. After a couple days of freaking out I demanded an ENT consult, and he drained the infection.

All the while I'm trying to tell them it's an infection of some sort that isn't responding to antibiotics because it would fluncuate in size. But, you know, what would I know, being his mom and a nurse and all.

Get another doctor.

Well...at least they could give you an opinion of what it was?

When my DD was just over a year old, she had a lump form on her neck. The day after it formed, I had her at the doctor's office. The pediatrician we saw (not her normal one) brought in another ped to see if he could diagnose it. Both were baffled and looking at textbooks trying to decide what it could be. They decided to wait. That was on a Thursday. Sunday afternoon, DD had a 103 temp. I skated into that doctor's office within the last 10 minutes they were open that day, and had the second doctor that had seen her the first time in way past closing. He sent us to the hospital for a ultrasound and had us come in the next morning. By 11 am Monday morning, we were on our way to Children's Hospital 3 hours away. Of course, it turned out to "just" be an infected lymph node, which isn't as scary than it could have been, I suppose. We were in the hospital for 4 days, under quarrantine, and that Tuesday morning when she woke up, the knot had become purple and squishy, where it had been hard and flesh-toned before.

On the other hand (much less dramatic story, I suppose), I've been hypothyroid for years. I'd just gotten a new GP (yay for insurance!), and I noticed that my thyroid felt bigger. I went in to see my GP, mentioned it to him, and he felt it and said he thought I was right. I went for an ultrasound. A week later I was calling his office trying to get results. When I finally was called back, it was...there are several lumps...what endocrinologist do you want to see? In the end, the endocrinologist said, "This is classic Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...why didn't he tell you that?" It almost sounded to the endo that I didn't need to be there, although I still go to him for my thyroid. (And, after that and a few other offenses, I found a new GP.)

 

[dejr_8]

You know what they call the person that finished LAST in their medical school class...


DOCTOR!!!

Physicians are not infallible or perfect.

 

[WDWBarb]

Well...at least they could give you an opinion of what it was?

When my DD was just over a year old, she had a lump form on her neck. The day after it formed, I had her at the doctor's office. The pediatrician we saw (not her normal one) brought in another ped to see if he could diagnose it. Both were baffled and looking at textbooks trying to decide what it could be. They decided to wait. That was on a Thursday. Sunday afternoon, DD had a 103 temp. I skated into that doctor's office within the last 10 minutes they were open that day, and had the second doctor that had seen her the first time in way past closing. He sent us to the hospital for a ultrasound and had us come in the next morning. By 11 am Monday morning, we were on our way to Children's Hospital 3 hours away. Of course, it turned out to "just" be an infected lymph node, which isn't as scary than it could have been, I suppose. We were in the hospital for 4 days, under quarrantine, and that Tuesday morning when she woke up, the knot had become purple and squishy, where it had been hard and flesh-toned before.

On the other hand (much less dramatic story, I suppose), I've been hypothyroid for years. I'd just gotten a new GP (yay for insurance!), and I noticed that my thyroid felt bigger. I went in to see my GP, mentioned it to him, and he felt it and said he thought I was right. I went for an ultrasound. A week later I was calling his office trying to get results. When I finally was called back, it was...there are several lumps...what endocrinologist do you want to see? In the end, the endocrinologist said, "This is classic Hashimoto's Thyroiditis...why didn't he tell you that?" It almost sounded to the endo that I didn't need to be there, although I still go to him for my thyroid. (And, after that and a few other offenses, I found a new GP.)

My DD has been quite ill over the last few years and we have seen at least 7 doctors. Since she was a teenager, we heard a lot of "Did you just break up with your boyfriend?" and "Are you just not liking school?" and all the while this poor kid was suffering massive headaches and simply couldn't get out of bed. She was diagnosed with migraines and depression but that's it. I finally got so fed up I took her to see my OB/GYN (the only doctor I trust) and he told me that her thyroid was very swollen and to get her to an good GP. Turned out to be Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and she's suffered so long that her thyroid no longer functions. She's one sick kid (hopefully on the mend now).

I'd never heard of Hashimoto's before, but I'm finding out that quite a few people I know actually have it.

 

[clutter]

He then tells the neighbor, "this is throat cancer so I'm going to send you to see an ENT".

Better than what happend to my BIL. He went to his ENT for 2 years with a raspy voice. The last thing that ENT told my sister (when they decided to get a second opinion) was "I don't know why you're so worried, it's not going to kill him." Two years later, it did. My sister found out later that the doctor billed the insurance company for scoping his throat. If the doctor had actually done that when he billed it, my BIL might be alive.

 

[MomRN]

Um, since when is tonsillitis/abcess/MRSA not an infection?

Maybe you misunderstood my post. I told the doctors whatever was going on, it was an infection of some sort because it appeared antibiotics were working (as the size of the lump would vary from the size of quarter to the size of a tennis ball). Tonsillitis usually responds well to broad spectrum antibiotics, involves swollen tonsils, maybe with a fever, refusal to eat or drink, or yell- all of which were not symptoms he experienced. Just a lump that kept going up and down. Also not typical for a tumor.

I figured it was an abcess, that was so large that it needed drained, that antibiotics (after 10 days of misdiagnosis) were just not working. Oddly, MRSA never crossed my mind until the ENT talked to me.

And I am thankful I finally got a MD to listen. After the 2nd trip to the ER, and the resident said "well, he just needs to take the antibiotics longer- and this is when he did start spiking a temp and refusing to eat and drink) I demanded to talk to the attending... the attending walks in (a different one from the first trip) and within 3 seconds says, he needs to be admitted and given IV antibiotics.

Had it not been for that MD I'm not sure what I would have done, because I really think ds may have been in danger of sepsis had it persisted much longer.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I think the problem with a lot of us is that we act like our PCP's should be experts in everything. But, since their knowledge is limited by what they see, I must admit that I always get a second opinion by a specialist whenever I get a big diagnosis. My fiancee's mom had a similar experience but quite the opposite in that she went to her PCP because she was having constant burning in her chest. The PCP kept discounting her and saying that she should just learn to live with it. It is just indigestion, etc. and nothing serious. She kept pressing on about it and finally saw a specialist. Come to find out one of the arteries in her heart was completely blocked (she had advised the PCP about the history of heart issues - attacks, strokes, and blockages in her family) and she needed emergency heart bypass surgery. It is stories like this that force me to spend that extra amount of money to have a PPO so that I can just go to specialists without the referral headaches.

I am glad that your neighbor is okay but I am sure that getting a much simpler diagnosis is not always a relief in the case of a medical diagnosis. It isn't quite the same good news as expecting to pay $1,000 on something only to find out it was really half that.

Stories like the ones in this thread should be a lesson to all of us to follow-up with our providers, get patient advocates in place (like a friend, family member) that can speak up for you and be your witness when it may not be possible for decisions to made by yourself, etc. It appears that doing this can sometimes be a life and death situation. Even doctors are human and can make mistakes.