Childhood cancer and misdiagnosis

Many Missouri residents do not know how big the problem of childhood cancer is. Around 43 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each day, and 40,000 children undergo cancer treatment every year. Twelve percent of the children that are treated for cancer end up dying from the disease.

While cancer itself can be devastating, the misdiagnosis of cancer in children can make the problem even worse. Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers say that doctors misclassify about 20 percent of cancer cases. In one out of 71 cancer cases, a patient who was told that they have cancer doesn’t actually have the disease.