A malpractice lawsuit investigation has been launched after reports of cervical cancer missed diagnosis have come to light, which reportedly put women at risk for a deadly but completely preventable disease. Cervical cancer missed diagnosis allows the disease to progress inside the patients, making it potentially fatal in later stages.

The cases of cervical cancer missed diagnosis are reportedly linked to false negative Pap smear exam results, which gave women a false sense of security. Before Pap smears became common practice, cervical cancer had been one of the most common causes of death for women in the United States.

Pap smear exams significantly decreased the rates of cervical cancer, with medical experts pointing out that this test should be able to detect cancer before it develops. Pap smear exams work by collecting cells from the cervix, to be examined by medical professionals for any signs of cancer or other abnormalities.

If any abnormalities are found, patients may have to undergo additional testing procedures including an endocervical scraping to collect more samples. Pap smears should be able to detect almost every variety of cervical cancer, including pre-cancerous stages.

Overview of Cervical Cancer Missed Diagnosis Problems

Pap smear exams are reportedly so effective in identifying cervical cancer that the American Cancer Society had previously recommended that women begin receiving them as young as 18. Overall, women who undergo regular Pap smear exams should be at significantly less risk for cervical cancer.

This is why the cases of cervical cancer missed diagnosis have spurred major concern in the medical community, along with the current missed cervical cancer lawsuit investigation.

One woman has allegedly already died from cervical cancer missed diagnosis in 2011, after she reportedly underwent a Pap smear exam that produced a false negative result in 2008. Her husband had later filed legal action against the medical labs that had processed the Pap smear exam results, in which the jury had awarded him $15.8 million in damages in 2014.

According to the American Cancer Society, it is estimated that 13,240 women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in 2018 in the United States. Approximately 4,170 women will die from this disease, making cervical cancer a prevalent risk for women despite regular Pap smear exams.

This is made more apparent by the cases of cervical cancer missed diagnosis, with many of these cases allegedly caused by human error.

“Although the Pap test has been more successful than any other screening test in preventing cancer, it’s not perfect. One of the limitations of the Pap test is that the results need to be examined by the human eye, so an accurate analysis of the hundreds of thousands of cells in each sample is not always possible,” states the American Cancer Society.

While there could be a number of other factors that can contribute to cervical cancer missed diagnosis, the CDC states that it can be largely attributed to human error due to the high processing demand of Pap smear exams.

According to the CDC, approximately 17.4 million doctor’s offices and 3.5 million hospital outpatient faculties had offered Pap smear exams in 2014 alone. With this intense demand and not enough lab technicians, the likelihood of errors significantly increases.