Systematic errors can severely impact cancer diagnosis. For instance, imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans rely on calibrated machinery. If the calibration is off, it could lead to consistent underestimation or overestimation of tumor size. Biochemical assays used to detect cancer biomarkers could also be affected by systematic errors, leading to false positives or negatives. This can result in either unnecessary treatments or missed diagnoses, thereby severely affecting patient outcomes.
