Cervical Cancer Cases

Negligence In Cervical Cancer Detection

The Significance Of The Pap

The Pap smear is a screening test, which has made the early diagnosis of cervical cancer possible. Developed in the early 1940s by New York physician Dr. George Papanicolaou, this test permits the examination of cells removed from the surface of the cervix. Although the use of the Pap smear should virtually eliminate the chances of a woman developing invasive cancer, this year alone, approximately 7,000 women will die of the disease--a disease that is largely preventable.

The Tragedy Of Misread Tests

There are two major reasons why women continue to die needlessly from cervical cancer: One is the failure to get annual gynecological exams and Pap smear evaluations. The other is the doctors' or hospitals' failure to properly perform and interpret Pap smears or to properly treat patients once the diagnosis of cancer or cancer-like conditions has been made.

Because a significant percentage of Pap smears are misread, many women are led to believe that they have no problem, when, in fact, cervical cancer may already be developing. Instead of preventing cancer through early detection, a misread Pap smear actually enables the cancer to grow.

In 1989, the American Medical Association documented that 15% to 30% of all Pap smears that reported showing no adverse change, in fact, had cancer or cancer-like cells present that required treatment. Most women who have these dangerous changes diagnosed can be cured with proper treatment. That's why it is particularly tragic that errors continue to be made in the performing of Pap smears and in the diagnosis and treatment of the conditions they often reveal.

A Need For Vigilance

For many years, our investigations into cervical cancer cases have confirmed that where a woman has invasive cervical cancer diagnosed in spite of regular prior gynecologic exams and pap smears, it is usually true that the stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis resulted from medical mistakes by the treating primary care doctor or gynecologist or improper interpretation or reporting by the laboratory reviewing the pap smears or biopsies.This negligence is the leading cause of death or disability of patients found to have invasive cancer who received prior regular gynecologic exams and pap smears.

For this reason, we obtain an independent review of the medical records and Pap smear slides for each cervical cancer patient evaluated by our office. This review is conducted by a pathologist specially trained to determine whether or not danger signs existed that should have been detected by others. In proving such cases, we must identify the mistakes that caused our clients' harm. In so doing, we hope to make it less likely for the persons who made those mistakes to repeat them. Without greater vigilance, these needless deaths will continue to occur.