The Pap Smear was one of the most revolutionary diagnostic tools that became available to the medical professional community in the 20^th century.

It is known to be very effective in identifying abnormal cells that could be precursors to cervical cancer in women. For those who have had regular “normal” pap smears and later discovered they have stage three or four cervical cancer, consulting a cancer misdiagnosis attorney may be beneficial.

What is a Pap Smear?

A Pap smear is a preventative gynecological test for women in which a physician collects a sample of cells from the surface of the cervix—the opening between the birth canal and the uterus. The aim of this test is to discover early if there are any cellular changes that could develop into cancer.

The test has been so effective in its cancer screening capabilities, that the rate of death from cervical cancer has dropped precipitously since doctors started utilizing this tool six decades ago.

What Additional Tests are used with the Pap Smear?

Should a Pap smear test be found abnormal, there are a range of adjunct tests to follow up with for more precise medical determinations. The adjunct tests include colposcopy, endocervical curettage (ECC) and cone biopsies.

A colposcopy is an examination under high magnification of the tissues of the cervix. The preparation for the test is like a Pap in that a speculum is used to spread the vaginal walls for a clear view of the cervix. The cervix is first washed with a solution like vinegar.

An ECC is a procedure whereby the mucous membrane of the cervix is scraped using a spoon-like apparatus. It, like the Pap smear, allows for the detection of precancerous conditions. A cervical cone biopsy is the most invasive adjunct test and involves removing a cone-shaped sample of cervical tissue.

Together these processes can provide a unified front to both catch cervical cancer early and start treatment early. When, for some reason, a woman submits to a regular schedule of pap screening that fails to detect these cellular changes and advanced cancer is later found, retaining a cancer misdiagnosis attorney may be advantageous.

How do Pap Smear Abnormalities Get Missed?

One of the reasons the retention of a cancer misdiagnosis attorney might be necessary is that errors can be made given the enormous number of Pap smears are ordered through routine physician and hospital outpatient visits each year. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there were nearly 21 million Pap smears conducted in 2014.

Each test must be examined microscopically with the expertly trained eye of a skilled laboratory technician. In today’s atmosphere of cost-cutting, where one or two lab employees often accomplish the workload of what five employees were expected to do a decade ago, it is easy to see how cellular abnormalities could be missed.

For the women and families involved, this is a tragic situation made worse by the idea that cervical cancer diagnosis at stage three or four—where recovery is greatly impeded if not impossible—could have been prevented.

A cancer misdiagnosis attorney can help a client recover damages that would help her or her family in the event of her wrongful death.

The compensatory damages, while not helpful in changing the situation, can help alleviate the stress of paying for medical bills, hospitalizations, loss of work income during chemotherapy or other treatment, loss of earning potential and funeral or memorial costs. In cases like this, speaking with a cancer misdiagnosis attorney may be beneficial.