If you or a loved one has had misdiagnosed cervical cancer, their Pap smear might have been misread.

A misdiagnosed cervical cancer lawsuit investigation is seeking patients who were diagnosed with cervical cancer within the last five years after obtaining a negative (normal) Pap test result.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent with regular screening tests and follow-up.”

Until relatively recently, an annual Pap test (or Pap smear) was recommended for all women over the age of 21 or annually beginning at the time they became sexually active. Now, women from ages 21 to 65 years old can wait as long as five years to obtain another screening, but doctors will judge each person’s situation individually.

Misdiagnosed Cervical Cancer Resulted in Death

Women who receive a negative (cancer-free) notice after their Pap test should rarely receive a cervical cancer diagnosis upon obtaining their next exam. However, a Florida woman allegedly died in 2011 from cervical cancer, even though her 2008 Pap test indicated cancer cells that she had not been informed about.

The woman’s husband filed a lawsuit, alleging the medical lab was negligent when his wife’s cancer failed to be identified in 2008. The family received $15.8 million in damages because of her wrongful death from misdiagnosed cervical cancer.

The Pap test has been used for 60 years to detect precancers, which are cell changes on the cervix that might develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.

An abnormal Pap test result does not necessarily mean precancerous or cancerous cells are present, but it does mean more testing will be needed. Oftentimes, a colposcopy with a biopsy, endocervical scraping, or cone biopsies collect further samples of cervical cells for testing.

Pap Test Results Vary

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a Pap test result is designated normal, unclear, or abnormal.

Normal: A normal is a negative result, which means that the cervix showed no changes in cellular structure.

Unclear: An unclear result means the test was inconclusive. Cells might appear different due to pregnancy, menopause or an infection. A doctor often will request the patient receive an HPV test to determine if the HPV virus that causes cervical cancer is the reason for the abnormal-looking cells.

Abnormal: An abnormal result means the cervix indicates some cell changes, but usually does not indicate cancer. HPV can cause a range of cellular changes, from minor (low-grade) to serious (high-grade). The minor changes often correct themselves and return to normal with no intervention. More serious changes can become cancer if not removed. Even the more serious changes often are considered precancerous cells that only have the ability to become cancer if left alone. In very rare instances, an abnormal Pap smear can indicate a possibility of cancer.

Misdiagnosed cervical cancer is serious because the earlier cervical cancer is found, the easier it is to eradicate. If it is not caught and treated early, it could become much more dangerous.

Medical labs test millions of slides of Pap smears annually. Each Pap smear must be looked at through a microscope and examined by human eyes. It’s possible misdiagnosed cervical cancer occurs due to fatigue of the person examining the cells. Still, medical labs are responsible for testing the samples they receive and accurately interpreting those results.