Cancer misdiagnosis claims are more common than they should be among women who have had negative reports from their Pap tests, also known as Pap smears. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly all cervical cancers are caused by infection from the human papilloma virus (HPV). A Pap test can find pre-cancerous cells in the cervix that can be easily treated.

Every Pap test has to be examined by human eyes. The cervical cells are examined under a microscope by a lab technician who looks for evidence of cancer or pre-cancerous abnormalities. Cancer misdiagnosis claims indicate that some women who have received “normal” (“negative”) results from a Pap test actually exhibited cancer or pre-cancerous cellular structures that were missed by the lab technicians.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculates that more than 17 million doctors’ offices and almost 3.5 million hospital outpatient centers ordered Pap tests in 2014. Overworked lab technicians might inadvertently have missed cervical cancer warning signs. Fatigued eyes could technicians to miss signs of cervical cancer after having to physically peer into each cellular specimen.

Current guidelines instruct women ages 21 to 29 to obtain a Pap test every three years and women ages 30 to 65 should obtain a Pap test and an HPV test every five years or get a Pap test every three years. Guidelines indicate women over 65 years of age can stop Pap tests if they have had normal test results for a period of 10 years. Pap tests that find unusual cells are no longer labeled as merely “positive.” A range of “positive” test results indicate the type of cervical cell changes and the number of changes found.

The American Cancer Society says, “Most cervical cancers can be stopped before they happen.” Unfortunately, some women who have been told their Pap smear was normal have returned to the doctor one to three years later to be diagnosed with Stage 3 or Stage 4 cervical cancer. Such news is alarming and devastating for a woman to hear after she has believed for years that her health was fine, only to find out the previous lab results were misinterpreted.

Filing Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims

Patients who developed cervical cancer and believe a medical lab missed the warning signs could be eligible to pursue legal action. Compensation for cancer misdiagnosis claims can include medical expenses, hospital stays, lost wages, pain and suffering, wrongful death and other repercussions that could have been avoided had the Pap test been read correctly.