Скачать или смотреть Liver Cancer Misdiagnosis Story | Dr Abhishek Gangopadhyay

At RN Tagore Hospital in Kolkata, Dr. Abhishek Gangopadhyay, a liver specialist, encountered a case that perfectly highlights why complete staging investigations are essential before concluding a diagnosis of liver cancer.

The Patient’s Story

The patient arrived with reports from another reputed hospital suggesting advanced liver cancer, based on an ultrasound (USG) and FNAC (Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology). His family had been told that the disease was too advanced for any meaningful treatment. Those words had shattered their hope.

Fortunately, a contact brought the patient to Dr. Gangopadhyay for another opinion. On reviewing the reports, he felt something was not right and insisted on a complete staging workup — CT scan, MRI, and tumor marker evaluation.

The Turning Point

The advanced scans and blood markers painted a different picture. The tumor appeared operable and did not show signs of widespread malignancy. With this reassurance, Dr. Gangopadhyay proceeded with an extended left hepatectomy, removing nearly half of the liver. The surgery was successful, and the patient recovered quickly, being discharged within a week.

The final biopsy report brought the greatest surprise:
It wasn’t cancer at all. The supposed “advanced liver cancer” turned out to be a granulomatous infection, a benign condition that can mimic cancer on initial tests. What had been thought of as a death sentence was in fact a curable infection.

Lessons from the Case

This extraordinary case underlines the danger of relying solely on preliminary tests like USG and FNAC to make life-changing conclusions. Without staging scans such as CT, MRI, tumor marker evaluation, and confirmatory biopsy, it is premature — and often harmful — to label a condition as “advanced cancer.”

Ultrasound and FNAC: Useful for initial guidance but limited in scope.

CT scan and MRI: Provide detailed imaging to understand the extent and nature of the tumor.

Tumor markers and biopsy: Critical for confirming whether a tumor is malignant or benign.

Jumping to conclusions without complete workup can devastate families, rob patients of hope, and sometimes push them towards unnecessary or harmful treatments.

A Message of Hope

For this patient, the outcome was life-changing. What was first declared “incurable cancer” turned out to be a benign, treatable infection. The recovery was smooth, and the family’s joy was immeasurable.

This story is a reminder that careful investigation and second opinions matter. As Dr. Gangopadhyay reflected, sometimes the greatest gift a doctor can give is clarity — and the quiet joy of telling a patient: “You don’t have cancer.”

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#LiverCancer #LiverCancerMisdiagnosis #LiverTumorDiagnosis #LiverBiopsy #LiverSurgery #GranulomatousInfection #FNAC #UltrasoundLiver #CTScanLiver #MRILiver #CancerStaging