Although Pap smear screening has become an effective method of detecting early signs of cervical cancer, lab technicians may in some cases miss abnormal cells in Pap smear tests.

Pap smear screening has been around for decades, and has significantly improved the odds that a patient at risk of cervical cancer may be diagnosed and treated early on. In fact, the death rate from cervical cancer has dropped substantially because of the ability to detect pre-cancer abnormal cells in Pap smear tests.

Unfortunately, while Pap smear screening is useful and has certainly saved lives, it is not an infallible process. Some women who receive regular Pap smears may still end up receiving a misdiagnosis, as abnormal cells in Pap smear tests are missed.

Background of Pap Smear Screening

Women are advised to receive regular Pap smears in their adulthood. For women between 21 and 29 years of age, Pap smear screening as advised every three years; beyond that, Pap smear tests should occur every five years until age 65. Pap smear tests are used to collect cells from the cervix. Finding abnormal cells in Pap smear tests can warn women of potential cervical cancer diagnosis in the future, which allows them to undergo preventative treatment and stop the cancer entirely.

Although cervical cancer has become one of the most preventable gynecologic cancers because abnormal cells in Pap smear can be detected early and allow for treatment, some who receive a normal Pap smear may later end up with a cervical cancer diagnosis.

Missed diagnoses may be due to medical labs that failed to properly use the Pap smear test in the first place. For instance, a medical lab may have observed the Pap smear test results but failed to actually detect cancer cells, even though the cancer was in fact there. They may also have recorded the data wrong.

Given that nearly 17.4 million Pap smears were ordered in physician office visits and another 3.5 million in hospital outpatient departments in 2014 alone, it’s reasonable to assume that overworked lab technicians could miss detecting abnormal cells in Pap smear tests.

However, missing abnormal cells in Pap smear tests may mean that a patient is only diagnosed when the cancer has become far more serious, such as when it has already progressed to the later and more dangerous stages that are more difficult to treat and much more deadly.

Filing a Missed Cervical Cancer Lawsuit

Some patients have filed lawsuits over missed cancer in Pap smear screenings, in some cases receiving millions for injuries or wrongful death.

If you received a cervical cancer diagnosis or your loved one died from cervical cancer, and you believe a medical lab may have missed early signs of cancer in a Pap smear that could have prevented the diagnosis altogether, you may be able to file a lawsuit.

Filing a missed cervical cancer diagnosis lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by cervical cancer, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses, hospital stays, and lost wages.