All consultations with our cervical cancer medical negligence solicitors are completely confidential and we will work with you to clarify the legal processes and determine your rights. If you feel that you have been the victim of cervical cancer medical negligence, contact us today for a risk-free, comprehensive consultation with one of our experienced solicitors.

Doctors, nurses and technicians usually provide a quality service but sometimes, things go wrong. If a medical professionals mistake or failure to act has resulted in injury to you or a loved one, you may have a case to claim compensation. Our cervical cancer medical negligence solicitors work under a no win no fee arrangement - you only pay us when we win your case and you receive compensation. If you contact our cervical cancer solicitors, we will gather all information pertaining to your situation and after a thorough review of the details of your case, we will let you know if you have a claim and what you should do next.

Our cervical cancer medical negligence solicitors have offices situated in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, and Sydney.
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Major medical advancements have made cervical cancer one of the most preventable forms of cancer, as pap smears and pelvic examinations are often able to detect pre-cancerous growths or changes during a womans routine gynaecological appointment. These tests need to be done correctly, however, and interpreted by a qualified healthcare provider in order for problems to be addressed. An improper or delayed diagnosis, or other lapse in treatment such as a loss of records, dismissal of symptoms, misreading of tests or improper testing procedures can hinder a possible recovery and cure. Failure to properly address these issues by a healthcare provider may amount to medical negligence. If you think that your condition has worsened as a result of medical negligence, contact our cervical cancer solicitors for advice at no cost.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of cervical cancer include bleeding and an unpleasant discharge between periods and after sexual intercourse. Post menopausal women may notice new bleeding after an absence for a long period of time. Apart from cancer of the cervix there are many other medical conditions that can cause these symptoms which of itself lends this condition to the possibility of cervical cancer misdiagnosis amounting to medical negligence.

Diagnosis

Cervical cancer diagnosis involves an initial smear test which if positive may be followed by further examination using the following techniques all of which require subjective human interpretation that can lead to cervical cancer misdiagnosis :-

• Colposcopy is a visual microscopic examination of cervix

• Large loop excision is the removal of a tissue sample for laboratory examination

• Cone biopsy is the removal of a section of the cervix for detailed examination

Pap Smear Testing

The most common test for cervical cancer, performed during typical gynecological exams, is the pap smear. If abnormalities are detected during microscopic analysis, and these are determined to be cancer or pre-cancer of the cervix, quick and correct treatment leads to a high rate of survival. The early detection that comes from a properly administered and interpreted pap smear eliminates a majority of cervical cancer cases before they become an invasive threat.

Diagnostic Errors

Common mistakes that doctors or healthcare professionals make in diagnosis and treatment that may amount to cervical cancer medical negligence, often involve their failure to :-

• test when a patient has symptoms that may indicate cancer
• identify a cancerous mass in the cervix during a routine pelvic exam
• perform a pap smear
• correctly interpret the pap smear or biopsy results
• arrange to have a biopsy performed when the pelvic exam results are abnormal
• recommend appropriate treatment options
• react quickly to biopsy findings

Cervical Cancer Lawyers

If your condition has worsened due to misdiagnosis or late diagnosis, or your treatment options have narrowed or you have undergone unnecessary treatment or your potential lifespan has been reduced due medical negligence by a healthcare provider we may be able to make a compensation claim on your behalf. Our cervical cancer lawyers are personal injury experts and deal with medical negligence claims using the no win no fee scheme. Just complete the contact form or email our offices. A cervical cancer lawyer will consider your claim there and then and will advise on liability and the likely value of the potential claim.

Cervical Cancer - Medical Overview

Cervical cancer involves cancer that begins in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Many cervical cancer patients are also infected with human papilloma virus, indicating a link between the two.

Throughout the world, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer among women. It is considerably less common in the US because women have Pap smears which prevent cervical cancer. The cancer begins at the lining or surface cells of the cervix.. There are two types of cells of the cervix, including squamous cells and columnar cells. By far and away, squamous cells are the cause of the cancer.

Cervical cancer develops very slowly. It begins with dysplasia, which is a precancerous condition. It can be found on Pap test and can be treated completely. This is why Pap tests are so important to have during regular doctor's visits. Most women who have cervical cancer have not been good about getting regular pap tests or have not followed up on previous abnormalities.

When cervical cancer spreads, it usually spreads to the intestines, bladder, lungs and liver. It can take years before the precancerous changes turn into cervical cancer. Problems tend not to occur until the cancer has spread and is already at an advanced stage.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by human papilloma virus or HPV. It is a sexually transmitted virus that is passed from partner to partner. HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease. Not all types of human papilloma virus cause cervical cancer. HPV is commonly known as genital warts.

Other risk factors for cancer of the cervix are having sex when one is young, having multiple sex partners, having been exposed to DES in utero, having a sexual partner who has had multiple sex partners, having a weakened immune system and being poor.

The symptoms of early cervical cancer are none in most cases. Some women will have bleeding after menopause, periods that are long and heavier than normal, abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods or after intercourse, and having a continuous vaginal discharge, which can be clear, cloudy, brown, bloody or malodorous.

Once the cervical cancer has become advanced, you can get weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain in the back or pelvis, pain in the leg, a swollen leg from lymphedema, heavy vaginal bleeding, leakage of urine or stool from the vagina and fractures of the bone.

Cervical cancer cannot usually be seen with the naked eye unless it is extremely severe. Doctors need to test for cervical cancer by doing Pap tests and eventually a colposcopy. A colposcopy uses a microscopy to look inside the cervix and identify places that need a biopsy. Biopsies are then taken and examined under the microscope. Doctors may also do an endocervical curettage that scrapes the inside of the cervix or a cone biopsy that cuts out a cone shaped section out of the entire cervix.

Staging of cervical cancer is done to see the extent of the disease. The staging tests include a CT or MRI of the abdomen, a chest x-ray and a cystoscopy of the bladder. An IVP can tell if the cancer has infiltrated the bladder or the rest of the urinary tract.

Treatment of cervical cancer is dependent upon the stage of the disease and on the age and general health of the individual involved. You can cure early cervical cancer by cutting out the cancer using a LEEP procedure which uses electricity to remove abnormal tissue. You can use laser therapy or cold therapy (cryotherapy) in order to destroy cancer cells and remove the tumor. A simple hysterectomy can be done for cervical cancer that hasn't spread beyond the uterus.

Advanced cervical cancer needs a radical hysterectomy, including the tubes and ovaries, along with surrounding lymph nodes and the upper aspect of the vagina. A more extreme procedure involves a pelvic exenteration, in which involves removal of the pelvic organs in total, including the bladder and the rectum.

Radiation therapy can be used on recurrent cancer or cancer that has spread beyond the border of the pelvis. It can be internal or external radiation.

Chemotherapy is used along with surgery and radiotherapy. It can include 5-FU, cisplatin and cyclophosphamide, among others. Chemotherapy can be used before or after surgery as an adjunctive therapy.