Kerala Woman Wrongly Diagnosed With Cancer, Suffers Severe Side Effects Of Chemotherapy

Lab test results are something that we have come to believe blindly and are often the basis on which the doctors go ahead with the treatment process.

But what if the diagnosis is wrong? All hell can break loose and it can have far-reaching consequences.

A woman in Kerala was undergoing Chemotherapy at the Kottayam Medical College after tests conducted at a Dianova Laboratories, private lab in the city "wrongly" diagnosed her of having cancer.

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The woman had undergone treatment at the General surgery department of the hospital on February 28 for a lump on her breast.

But the results of a second sample which was sent to a government lab came only two weeks after the chemotherapy session showed that the lump was not cancerous.

By then the woman had lost her hair and was in pain due to the side effects of the chemotherapy.

After the doctors confirmed that the woman did not have cancer the second session of chemotherapy was cancelled and the lump on her breast was surgically removed.

Based on the woman's complaint a probe has been ordered by Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja.

The hospital authorities however said the doctors at the Kottayam Medical College were not at fault as they began the treatment based on the lab report.