Delayed diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for patients, as it can limit the number of treatment options and often means the patient’s possibility of survival has been significantly decreased.

Women in the United States in particular are at high risk for delayed diagnosis of cancer, especially if their Pap smear exam is sent to medical labs with overworked technicians.

Delayed diagnosis of cancer is devastating regardless which type of cancer it is, but cervical cancer is well-known for being aggressive and can quickly progress to fatal stages.

It is important to note that cervical cancer is one of the most treatable and preventable forms of gynecologic cancers and is often detected in early or even precancerous stages because of Pap smear tests.

Pap smear exams are conducted by healthcare professionals in outpatient treatment centers, hospitals, or doctor’s offices, and are considered one of the most important medical tests for women’s health in the United States. Pap smear tests collect cells from the cervix, which are then taken to a medical laboratory to be examined for any signs of cancer or other abnormalities.

If the test finds any abnormalities in the sample, the patient will most likely have to undergo more invasive procedures including biopsies and endocervical scraping to collect larger samples. If performed correctly, Pap smear exams can detect nearly every form of cervical cancer cell at any point of their development.

With as inexpensive the Pap smear exam is to produce and conduct, cervical cancer should be detected at early stages in nearly all cases.

Overview of Problems with Delayed Diagnosis of Cancer

This essentially means that women who undergo regular Pap smear exams should not get cervical cancer. However, there have been numerous women alleging they experienced a delayed diagnosis of cancer, which was reportedly caused by false negative results from their Pap smear exams.

In cases of delayed diagnosis of cancer, women were initially told their Pap smear results were negative only to return three years later for their next Pap smear test that showed Stage 3 or Stage 4 cervical cancer.

There are a number of different reasons that could cause a delayed diagnosis of cancer from Pap smear exams, but it is widely believed that it is due to lab technicians being overworked and the sheer number of Pap smear exams to analyze.

“Although the Pap test has been more successful than any other screening test in preventing a 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.

These cases of Pap smear false negative results have spurred a class action investigation, which is open for women who suffered delayed diagnosis of cancer. One Florida woman has died allegedly due to a Pap smear false negative result, and her husband has filed legal action on her behalf.

The man alleges his wife’s delayed diagnosis of cancer was caused by the false negative result of her Pap smear exam in 2008, and claims the medical lab failed to properly identify cervical cancer cells.