Accurate diagnosis is of the utmost importance for those with medical issues. Treatment options vary drastically from one medical condition to the next. Even conditions that present similar symptoms may require different care.
Doctors receive extensive training on how to diagnose their patients. They learn about the various symptoms associated with different illnesses and how to determine the true underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms. Unfortunately, not every doctor accurately diagnoses every patient who needs their support.
Sometimes, doctors misdiagnose very serious medical conditions. For people with cancer, for example, a delay in diagnosis could have dire implications. It is more common than many people realize for doctors to misdiagnose cancer initially by jumping to the wrong conclusion about the underlying cause of symptoms. One common lymphoma symptom often goes overlooked initially to the detriment of patients who need immediate medical care.
Multiple kinds of lymphoma cause rashes
Lymphoma is a very serious form of cancer that affects the immune system initially. It can present a broad range of symptoms, including some of the standard generic symptoms associated with cancer. People may feel a profound sense of fatigue. They may notice unexplained weight loss, fever or chills.
However, the symptom that often sends people to their doctors is the lymphoma rash. Rashes are common with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and several other types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Doctors may misdiagnose a lymphoma rash as topical skin irritation caused by an allergy or even as a case of scabies.
That misdiagnosis could result in the patient going without care. Their cancer could continue progressing for multiple months before another doctor eventually orders the right tests and discovers what really caused the rash.
By then, the lymphoma may have progressed past the first or second stage and may have begun metastasizing. Metastasized cancer has spread beyond the initial tissue that is affected and can be particularly difficult to treat. Delays in cancer diagnoses can lead to reduced treatment options and worse long-term outcomes for patients.
Pursuing a medical malpractice lawsuit over an improperly diagnosed lymphoma rash could help a patient cover their care costs. Successful malpractice lawsuits can compensate people harmed by poor care while simultaneously creating consequences for negligent physicians or medical facilities that encourage rushed diagnostic conclusions with high-pressure employment practices.
