New Jersey Lawyers Representing Women Harmed by Failure to Diagnose Cervical Cancer

The Pap smear is one of the most effective cancer screening tests ever developed. It allows doctors to identify cervical cancer in its earliest and most treatable form. Early diagnosis and a good prognosis go hand in hand. The five-year survival rate is 91.3 percent for patients whose cervical cancer that has not spread beyond the initial site. That drops to 54 percent if cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes and just 14 percent if it has moved to other areas of the body.

Medical negligence can deprive women of the opportunity to receive early and effective treatments. The medical malpractice attorneys at Team Law represent women who were not able to obtain treatment when the odds were in their favor because of a medical professional’s carelessness.

Have you been harmed by failure to diagnose cervical cancer in a timely manner despite receiving annual Pap smears? Did a member of your family die a wrongful death because of a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis? Please call 1-800-TEAM-LAW or contact Team Law to discuss your case.

Our legal team has more than 60 years of experience representing people injured by negligence, including medical negligence. We will pursue financial compensation for the full extent of your losses, including:

• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages and lost future earning ability
• Current and future medical expenses
• Loss of the patient’s contribution to marital and family relationships

*Cervical cancer often develops in women with young children. We will work to maximize the amount of financial compensation you receive to help support you and/or your family.

Investigating Your Case

Attorney Roy J. Konray, our principal medical malpractice attorney, is experienced in reviewing medical records. He understands the procedures that should be followed and knows how to identify gaps, weaknesses and questionable practices. He analyzes evidence with many questions in mind.

• Did the doctor take an adequate medical history?
• Did the doctor respond appropriately to the patient’s symptoms?
• Was the physical exam performed properly?
• Were proper tests ordered?
• Were tests correctly interpreted?
• Did the patient have risk factors for cervical cancer, especially high-risk HPV?
• Did the Pap smear identify a precancerous condition such as cervical dysplasia?

A Blind Test for an Impartial Opinion

Our legal team will obtain and preserve the microscope slides containing cervical cells from the Pap smears in question. Next, we will arrange for a blind reading of the slide by an impartial, respected pathologist. We will present the slide to the pathologist without stating what we suspect.

The blind reading may come back negative for cervical cancer, but positive for high-grade cervical dysplasia, a pre-cancerous condition. High-grade dysplasia leads to invasive cancer in 30 percent to 50 percent of cases. It is associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV).

If a woman has a certain type of high-risk HPV, she is at higher risk of cervical dysplasia and cervical cancer. We will compare our blind test findings with the patient’s medical record. If the original physician did not test for HPV after a positive finding of high-grade cervical dysplasia, malpractice may have occurred. According to the National Cancer Institute, 12,900 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually and 4,120 women in the U.S. die each year of cervical cancer. Just as each medical case is unique, each case of failure to diagnose cervical cancer is different and must be evaluated individually.

Contact an Experienced New Jersey Medical Malpractice Attorney

If you or a member of your family suffered significant harm because of a delayed diagnosis of cervical cancer, please contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation and case evaluation online or call 1-800-TEAM-LAW.

Team Law serves clients throughout Essex, Hudson, Union and Middlesex counties and throughout NJ from many convenient office locations including Clark, Elizabeth, West New York, Newark, Orange, Jersey City, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, and Summit.