Abstract:
Objective This work aims to explore the cause and countermeasures of misdiagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
Methods The naive NPC patients diagnosed in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in 2011 (from January 1st to December 31st) were enrolled in this study. The patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.
Results Up to 416 cases were involved in the study.The misdiagnosis rate was 42%. The medial delay time in diagnosis was three months (range: 0–60), in which patient-related factors equally contributed to the iatrogenic factors for the diagnosis delay. Initial symptoms, the levels of the hospitals, and related divisions for preliminary diagnosis were important factors that influenced misdiagnosis.
Conclusions NPC patients suffer from high misdiagnosis rate, which is related to non-specific symptoms of the nasopharynx, low-level hospitals in small towns, and visiting wrong divisions that are usually not special departments of otorhinolaryngology. Improving people's awareness of NPC, intensifying continuous medical education of doctors, and establishing a reward and punishment system may reduce misdiagnosis of the cancer.
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