Key Highlights
- A Reddit poster said hospital staff overlooked a second institute’s test results for eight weeks while he underwent chemotherapy.
- He said later reviews found no sign of cancer and that the treatment left him infertile while increasing his risk of developing other cancers.
- The Daily Dot could not independently verify the account, and the identities of the poster and commenters were not confirmed.
Reddit Poster Says Hospital Overlooked Test Results During Chemotherapy
A man who said he was incorrectly treated for lymphoma has claimed that hospital staff failed to read a second institute’s test results for eight weeks while he was receiving chemotherapy. The account was shared in a Nov. 12, 2026, post to the Reddit community r/BoyDinnerDiaries, which had received 177 upvotes and 19 comments at the time of publication.
The poster wrote that he was 23 in 2019 when he began experiencing repeated episodes of high fever, excessive sweating and vomiting. After the third or fourth episode, his doctor sent him to a hospital, where staff quickly concluded that he had lymphoma, according to the post. The results of a lumbar puncture were negative, while a lymph node biopsy was positive. Hospital staff sent the biopsy material to a second institute for confirmation, but chemotherapy began immediately.
Two days after chemotherapy started, the second institute reportedly sent a report saying there was no sign of malignant disease. The institute said an infection, probably Epstein-Barr virus, was much more likely, the poster wrote. He said hospital staff left the report unread for eight weeks. “For eight […] weeks I went through intense chemotherapy,” he wrote.
Later Reviews Found No Sign of Malignancy
At a subsequent checkup, the poster said his doctor told him the report had been found and that chemotherapy would stop immediately. “Weirdest day of my life,” he wrote. “I know you’re probably supposed to be happy finding out that you do not have cancer after all, but it just felt surreal.” He said two additional pathologists reviewed the biopsy and found no sign of malignancy.
The doctors did not know how the hospital had reached its initial conclusion, according to the account. The Redditor said he sued the hospital and that the legal process had involved “delay tactics and blatant lies” from the hospital, its insurance company and their lawyers. “I have a good lawyer myself, so I’m kinda confident that I’ll win in the end,” he added.
The poster said the chemotherapy had left him infertile. He wrote that he had been given the opportunity to freeze his semen, meaning he could theoretically have biological children. “The thought of artificial insemination just creeps me out for some reason,” he wrote. He also said the medications had increased his risk of developing other cancers.
“I know that I was lucky given the circumstances,” he added. “All of that could have been avoided if those incompetent hospital […] just would have read their […] emails.”
Commenters Debate Medical Errors and Physician Pay
Commenters responded to the alleged misdiagnosis and treatment. One cited medical errors as a major cause of death, writing, “Medical mistakes are a top 5 leading cause of death,” and adding, “I’m tired of people thinking that Doctors and other medical professionals are some kind of superior intelligence. They don’t care about you, only your money.”
Another commenter discussed physician pay in the United States compared with salaries in other countries. “Doctors in America make more money than nearly anywhere else,” the commenter claimed, because “they’ve artificially limited their numbers for decades.”
“Only a handful of occupations have legally been allowed to do that, and doctors are one of them,” they added. “Realistically American doctors shouldn’t be making much more than the average German one.”
One commenter also shared a personal account of a childhood hospital complication while expressing sympathy for the poster. “I’m so sorry, OP. Wish you good luck with the lawsuit…” one other viewer wrote. “When I was a kid, I went through surgery because I broke my arm.”
“An [sic] hospital infection got into the open wound while surgery [sic], had to go through so many surgeries because my arm never healed,” they added. “Had to have a cast for 6 years in total, 9 surgeries. Only found out that the first hospital was responsible for that after years my arm finally healed.”
Why This Matters
The account highlights the consequences the poster says followed a disputed cancer diagnosis, including unnecessary chemotherapy, infertility and a heightened risk of other cancers. It also underscores the importance of reviewing outside pathology results before continuing a serious treatment, although the reported events have not been independently verified.
The poster’s lawsuit was still described as ongoing in the Reddit account. The Daily Dot reported that it could not independently verify the events, and that the identities of the poster and commenters had not been confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the Reddit poster claim happened?
He said hospital staff diagnosed him with lymphoma, began chemotherapy and then failed to read a second institute’s report stating that there was no sign of malignant disease for eight weeks.
What did later pathology reviews find?
The poster said two additional pathologists reviewed the biopsy and found no sign of malignancy. He also said the doctors did not know how the hospital had reached its original conclusion.
Was the account independently verified?
No. The Daily Dot said it could not independently verify the events described in the Reddit post, and the identities of the poster and commenters were not confirmed.
