Irish consumers claim that the country’s cervical cancer crisis began in the U.S. with laboratory pap smear malpractice.

Ireland implements the CervicalCheck cancer screening process which outsources some of its tests to United States laboratories. Between 2008 and 2014, 208 women received false negative pap results as a result of alleged pap smear malpractice. A 2014 audit revealed the false negatives, but 162 women were allegedly not told about their wrong test results because there was no clear policy for the company to follow in the event of a false negative.

The controversy was revealed when Vicky P. allegedly refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement about her settlement with a Texas laboratory which returned a false negative. In 2011, Vicky’s pap test revealed strong indications for cancer cells. However, she allegedly did not learn of this until 2017. Vicky now has late stage cervical cancer and only a few months to live.

Cervical cancer affects the cervix, the lowest part of the uterus in the female reproductive system. The cervix plays an important role in female reproductive health, fertility, and childbirth. Cervical cancer can be very difficult to treat when it has reached an advanced stage and can quickly spread to other parts of the body. Although early stage cervical cancer shows no symptoms, symptoms of late stage cervical cancer include irregular vaginal bleeding, watery or bloody discharge, and pelvic pain.

Pap smears allow doctors to identify early cancer cells so that the condition can be treated. This helps catch the disease before it is too late and save the lives of countless women. However, pap smear malpractice means that some tests will return a false negative, leaving women in the dark about the cancer spreading inside their body.

When Ireland implemented CervicalCheck and outsourced a portion of their testing to the U.S., a number of doctors reportedly voiced their concerns. These doctors cited lower quality assurance levels and different screening systems in U.S. laboratories. They were concerned that the differences between testing in the two countries would lead to potential pap smear malpractice and missed cancer diagnoses.

Following the controversy regarding the cervical cancer epidemic, the Irish government has acknowledged that there were “appalling communication failures”, according to Human Rights Watch. The government intends to investigate whether a different testing system could reduce pap smear malpractice and false negative results.

Pap Smear Malpractice

With lab technicians reviewing a massive number of pap tests every year, failure to diagnose cervical cancer is almost unavoidable. Abnormal cancer cells can be missed due to an error in the test or negligence. The patients who receive false negatives on their test pay for the pap smear malpractice with their lives.

If you or a loved one received a false negative pap test and were later diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer, you may be eligible for legal action. A false negative pap test lawsuit could help recover punitive damages for the pap smear malpractice as well as compensation for medical expenses, missed work, pain and suffering, wrongful death, and more.