A WOMAN received different results from two physical examinations that she had undergone at two medical institutions last year, with one suggesting she was healthy but the other diagnosing her with intermediate stage colorectal cancer, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

    The woman, surnamed Chen, said she had a physical examination at a private medical center as arranged by her company in November.

    She received her results Nov. 18, which said she did not have cancer. Chen then had another physical check at a public hospital as she had been suffering from hematochezia for over six months. The result she received three days later showed that she had colorectal cancer.

    As the two results were contradictory, Chen doubted whether the private medical center, Health 100 in Futian District, was qualified to offer an accurate examination. However, the private institution insisted that it was qualified.

    The results offered by Health 100 showed that Chen had no signs of having cancer. However, according to the diagnosis made by doctors at Shenzhen No. 2 People’s Hospital, Chen was already in the intermediate stage of colorectal cancer.

    Chen was hospitalized for further examination on the day the second results were released. She was confirmed to have a tumor inside of her rectum.

    Chen went to the private center in February, urging the institution to explain their misleading result. According to Chen, Health 100 told her that they had lost her blood samples and that she had not chosen the top physical examination package at the center. The institution even said that her CEA was not high enough to be easily examined.

    Chen said that the package her company had provided for her cost around 700 yuan (US$101) and had included most of the regular examination items.

    A medical director from Health 100’s Shenzhen company, surnamed Yang, said March 13 that the formation and development of a tumor is a complex process and various factors will determine the results of an examination.

    Yang also said Chen came to them three months after she had the physical examination, so they could not help her review the result as her physical condition was totally different than three months prior.

    An unnamed tumor expert with another public hospital said that a CEA examination is an initial test for a preliminary diagnosis of cancer and is not 100 percent accurate. The expert suspected that the result had something to do with the technology or equipment.

    (Zhang Qian)