According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), cervical cancer used to be a very common cause of death among women prior to the invention and general use of the Pap smear.

The Pap smear was named after a Greek doctor who invented the procedure, Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou. During a Pap smear, a sample of cells is scraped from the cervix—the opening between the uterus and birth canal—and examined under a microscope for evidence of pre-cancerous changes.

The test can be very effective in catching developing cancer while it is still easily treated. But failure to read the Pap test accurately may lead to missed cervical cancer diagnosis, with potentially deadly consequences.

The weakness of the Pap test is that each and every test ordered through individual doctor visits and through hospital outpatient facilities must be reviewed by the expertly trained eye of a laboratory technician under extreme magnification.

A missed cervical cancer diagnosis will not likely occur if a woman submits to a schedule of regular screening and this attention to detail is given to the sample. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Overworked laboratory technicians can and do fail to screen samples in a detailed manner. Medical laboratories can be negligent.

A missed cervical cancer diagnosis in its early stages can lead to a diagnosis of stage 3 or stage 4 cervical cancer later. This statistically increases the likelihood of succumbing to the disease, because at that point, the cancer is much more entrenched and difficult to treat.

The Pap Smear and Follow-Up Tests

If an initial Pap smear shows suspicious cellular activity which could be considered abnormal, there are other tests which are used to follow-up. The first follow-up test is generally a colposcopy in which the cervix is viewed in a highly magnified state using a colposcope.

Other tests include endocervical scrapping where more cells are removed and cone biopsies where a cone-shaped sample of cervical tissue is removed for further microscopic examination.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified about 20 million Pap tests ordered through individual doctor visits and hospital outpatient facilities in the U.S. in 2014. The enormity of Pap smears ordered is in large part because the test has been so effective in changing the outcome of this horrific disease for women.

A missed cervical cancer diagnosis is statistically possible, given this large number of tests. However, it does nothing to support a family as they deal with the pain and suffering, enormous medical care and hospitalization costs, lost income and earning power, and even wrongful death.

Filing a missed cervical cancer lawsuit may help recover compensation in this situation. Records of former Pap smears can be reviewed for accuracy and evidence gathered to build a case.

If you or a loved one had regular Pap smears that were clear and normal, but were later diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer, you may have a legal claim. Our expert cancer misdiagnosis lawyers can help. Fill out our form and one of them will be in touch to discuss your situation free of charge for the first consultation.