The family members of an Irish woman who developed cervical cancer after receiving inaccurate Pap smear results that told her she was not at risk have decided to band together and share their story.

Those family members want answers about how the Pap smear results could have led the patient to think that she was clear about the risk of cervical cancer, according to an article by The Independent. The woman who had regular Pap smear tests through the cervical check program in Europe was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer in Ireland just nine months after getting Pap smear results indicating that she was fine.

The woman was a single mother and only 34 when she passed away in 2013 after receiving a terminal prognosis six months prior. Her family is now expressing concern over the inaccurate Pap smear results. A total of 18 women have died after their Pap smear results were misread.

Multiple defendants have been named in lawsuits against those who allegedly misread the Pap smear results. The family members say that their loved one told them to raise awareness about what happened to figure out what went wrong if she were to pass away.

The Pap smear results from a June 2011 cervical screening came back with no indication for alarm. However, the patient began to develop symptoms that she ultimately presented to her general physician five months later.

At that point, she was referred to a cancer specialist. Heavy bleeding and severe pain, making it impossible for the patient to stand were two of the primary reasons that she scheduled an appointment with her GP. In March 2012, the patient began receiving cancer care in North Ireland, but within four weeks of being treated through the UK’s NHS system, was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer.

The family claimed that the Pap smear results given to the patient indicating that she was fine could not possibly have been accurate, given the quick development of cervical cancer that ultimately claimed the life of their loved one.

A growing number of women are reporting their concerns about Pap smear results that may have been misread and given patients the false impression that they were not in danger of developing cervical cancer at that time.

Many of these women have gone on to have additional cervical cancer screenings and some have even been diagnosed with cervical cancer as a result. Many of those who have had cervical cancer results misread in the United States may be eligible to pursue a medical malpractice lawsuit.

The development of cervical cancer is always an unnerving and confusing experience for a suffering patient, but it is even more devastating to realize that Pap smear results should have alerted the woman to the situation and given her a chance to get treatment. For those patients and family members already grappling with a diagnosis after getting an all-clear from a Pap smear, a lawsuit may be the next step.