No. 4: Pulmonary emboli
A pulmonary embolism is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by any number of things, including fat, blood clots, and tumor cells. Perhaps the biggest factor to be concerned with here relates to your chance of developing a blood clot following surgery. Last month we discovered that venous thromboembolisms (deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms) are the leading cause of preventable patient death in hospitals with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimating that 1.1% of all surgical patients will develop a blood clot. The key here would be for physicians to properly screen for and diagnose patients that have a higher risk of developing a blood clot in a post-surgical setting.
Diagnostic equipment could be called on to come to the rescue here, but I see this as a huge opportunity for Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY)‘s recently approved blood-thinner Eliquis. At the moment, Eliquis is only approved to treat blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation, but could see sales surge if it gets the expanded indication to treat post-surgical patients. Even if it’s just a short-term treatment (the threat for post-surgical blood clots usually abates after a few weeks), the boost in sales could be enormous, and the chance of developing a blood clot for surgical patients could be dramatically reduced.
No. 3: Myocardial infarctions
Now we’re literally talking about a heart attack! A myocardial infarction is nothing more than a blood flow blockage to your heart which causes muscle tissue damage and/or death in and around the heart. As I discussed above, some of the symptoms of a heart attack can be very subtle, so it’s important for patients to discuss all their symptoms, regardless of how minor, with their doctor, and for that physician to order the proper diagnostic tests.
In diagnosing a heart attack the biggest obstacle is time, because once a diagnosis is made it can sometimes be too late. Preventative measures, such as ensuring your LDL-cholesterol is low; that your blood pressure is within normal ranges; and, should you have diabetes, that you are properly maintaining your condition through medication and proper diet, are all important factors to reducing your chance of a heart attack. A family history of heart attack also genetically puts you at a higher risk of a myocardial infarction, thus increasing the urgency that you take preventative steps early in life to avoid a disease like this, or worse, a misdiagnosis, later in life.
No. 2: Neoplasms
You may not recognize the scientific name, but a neoplasm is an abnormal growth of tissue most commonly referred to as cancer. Keep in mind that cancer can be benign as well, so with increasingly better medication and early stage detection in some cancer types, it’s no longer the death sentence it once was. However, properly diagnosing cancer can often be very difficult if the needed tests aren’t ordered or a patient’s subtle symptoms aren’t taken into account.
According to the study’s findings, a disheartening 12% of all cancers — one in eight — are misdiagnosed from the start! Based on malpractice data from the meta-analysis, the deadly form of skin cancer known as melanoma tops the list as the most commonly misdiagnosed cancer type.
There could, however, be good news on the way for patients who have, or think they have, a certain type of melanoma. In May the FDA approved two new single-agent melanoma medications developed by GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK), Tefinlar and Mekinist, as well as a companion diagnostic test known as THxID BRAF. The diagnostic test identifies the BRAF mutation in melanoma (the most common mutation in melanoma) while each unique new medication delayed tumor growth in patients for a longer period than those taking just the placebo.
No. 1: Infections
But the No. 1 misdiagnosis by physicians is infection. An anonymous survey of physicians with regard to children’s health published in the journal Pediatrics noted that slightly more than half improperly diagnosed a viral infection as a bacterial infection during the course of the year.
The key to a properly diagnosed infection is in ensuring that your doctor performs the required follow-up tests. A patient needs to be forthcoming with all of his or her symptoms and physicians need to be diligent and throughout with their protocol for infection diagnosis, because unlike a viral infection, some infections can be quite virulent.
Where do we go from here?
In addition to increasing the awareness for both patients and physicians around these five commonly misdiagnosed diseases, I believe it opens up the door for advancements in diagnostic and molecular technologies.
Source: Army Medicine, Flickr.
In cancer diagnostics, for instance, we’re just touching the tip of the iceberg with regard to personalizing the therapy for better care and quicker diagnoses. Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE) introduced its Benchtop Ion Proton Sequencer early last year which can map the human genome in less than 24 hours for a cost of just $1,000. Quicker and more accurate results could make mapping the genome of cancerous tumors quicker than ever which would in turn help in diagnosing mutations and properly prescribing the best treatments for a particular cancer type.
Another prime example here would be Navidea Biopharmaceuticals Inc (NYSEMKT:NAVB)‘ Lymphoseek which is an injectable agent used in external lymph-node imaging and intra-operative lymphatic mapping. In English this means it will dramatically improve the staging and treatment options for patients with breast cancer. Being that breast cancer was also listed as a commonly misdiagnosed cancer, this is a big step in the right direction for patient care.
The article The 5 Most Misdiagnosed Diseases originally appeared on Fool.com is written by Sean Williams.
Fool contributor Sean Williams has no material interest in any companies mentioned in this article. You can follow him on CAPS under the screen name TMFUltraLong, track every pick he makes under the screen name TrackUltraLong, and check him out on Twitter, where he goes by the handle @TMFUltraLong.The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.
Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
