A new cervical cancer diagnosis investigation is being launched for women who were diagnosed with cervical cancer even after receiving a normal Pap smear test result.

Before the introduction of the Pap test, also known as a Pap smear, more than 60 years ago, cervical cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer death among American women. Death rates have significantly dropped since the Pap smear’s introduction.

However, there have been some women who although they have received a normal or negative Pap smear test result, have still been diagnosed with cervical cancer. The reason for this being a cervical cancer misdiagnosis resulting from the failure of a laboratory to detect cancerous cells on a Pap smear test or by the failure of the physician to accurately confirm the results of the test.

Because of an inaccurate cervical cancer diagnosis, many women may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim alleging negligence on the part of the healthcare providers.

Cervical Cancer Diagnosis

When a woman has a regular Pap smear, it can help reduce the chances for developing cervical cancer, and even stop it before it starts. But women are still being diagnosed with cervical cancer despite getting a normal Pap smear result.

A recent lawsuit alleged that a Florida woman died from cervical cancer in 2011 despite receiving a normal Pap smear test in 2008. Her husband, claiming negligence, sued the medical lab that analyzed the sample. $15.8 million was awarded to the woman’s family for wrongful death in a jury verdict in 2014.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cervical cancer despite receiving a normal Pap smear test result, filing a missed cervical cancer lawsuit can help you and your family receive compensation. Compensation may be awarded for hospital stays, missed work, pain and suffering, wrongful death, and medical expenses.

Preventing Cervical Cancer and How Missed Cervical Cancer Occurs

According to the American Cancer Society, most cervical cancer diagnoses are found in women who do not have regular Pap smear tests. This is unfortunate, as Pap smear test results are usually effective at detecting cervical cancer.

Health care professionals perform Pap smear tests by collecting cervix cells for examination. If an abnormal Pap smear test is found, additional testing may be necessary to affirm a cervical cancer diagnosis. Some additional testing includes endocervical scaping, cone biopsies, colposcopy (with biopsy), and the collection of cervical tissue.

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be roughly 13,240 new cervical cancer cases in 2018. They also estimate that 4,170 women will die from cervical cancer.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 3.5 million Pap smear tests were ordered in hospital outpatient visits in 2014, while almost 17.4 million were ordered in physician office visits.

According to the American Cancer Society, “[a]lthough 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.”