Regular Pap smear testing is undoubtedly a valuable tool in detecting cervical cancer early on before it has a chance to develop. This allows the disease to be countered quickly and effectively. In the last few decades, the Pap smear exam has reduced the incidence of cervical cancer—once one of the most common causes of cancer death in American women—by more than 60 percent since it was first introduced.

However, despite the usefulness of this test, it is not infallible, and some who have a normal Pap smear may later find that they developed cervical cancer.

Have you or someone you love undergone a Pap smear and received a normal test result, yet later been diagnosed with cervical cancer? You may be able to file a cervical cancer lawsuit if a medical lab failed to notice the signs of cervical cancer on the Pap smear test.

Pap Smear Exam

During a Pap smear exam, cells from a patient’s cervix are collected and examined for evidence that may indicate the possibility of a future diagnosis of cervical cancer. This kind of early warning allows a patient who shows signs of cancer to undergo preventative treatment, which can in many cases stop the cancer entirely. Regular screening is what makes this process most effective. According to the American Cancer Society, women age 21 to 29 should receive a Pap smear exam every three years, and those between the ages of 30 and 65 every five years.

Of course, the Pap smear exam isn’t without its own flaws, even when used to detect early cervical cancer.

Missed Cervical Cancer

While the introduction of the Pap smear exam has undeniably helped prevent and fight cervical cancer in countless women, it is not an infallible process. Indeed, those who undergo even regular Pap smear exams may later end up being diagnosed with cervical cancer. There are a few reasons for this.

The main reason for a missed cancer diagnosis after a Pap smear is human error—for instance, a medical lab may fail to detect and thus diagnose cancerous cells that appear in a Pap smear exam, meaning that patients with cervical cancer may not be warned about it early enough to effectively treat it. Another way that signs of cervical cancer might be missed is if the Pap smear screening is defective, and presents a false negative.

Filing a Missed Cervical Cancer Lawsuit

If you believe a medical lab may have missed early signs of cancer in a Pap smear screening that could have prevented yours or a loved one’s cervical cancer diagnosis altogether, you may be able to file a cervical cancer lawsuit.

Filing a missed cervical cancer lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by cervical cancer, nor can it bring a loved one back to life. But filing a cervical cancer lawsuit can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses, hospital stays, and lost wages.