Senior medical students fail spectacularly at diagnosing childhood brain cancer
Final-year medical students remember only six of at least 20 early warning signs of childhood cancer.They are especially weak at diagnosing brain cancer‚ the second-most-common form of childhood cancer‚ something described as "particularly concerning" by a research team from the medical school at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).Paediatrician Jennifer Geel said the findings‚ reported in the South African Medical Journal‚ were troubling because early diagnosis was vital in treating cancer and preventing complications such as cognitive and learning difficulties, and irreversible brain damage.Five-year survival rates of South African children with cancer are poor — about 50%‚ compared with more than 80% in high-income countries — and Geel said underdiagnosis may be partly to blame. Only about 700 cases were reported each year‚ while global guidelines suggested the number should be between 900 and 2,500."It has been estimated that two-thirds of South African children with canc...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.