Delayed cancer diagnosis prompts med-mal suit
An Illinois woman who claims her doctor and his staff failed to follow up on her abnormal Pap smear has filed a malpractice suit against them and their medical group, reports a story in the Madison-St. Clair Record.
In early 2019, Lisa Albright visited the medical group after she had experienced pain during intercourse. A family nurse practitioner at the practice performed a Pap smear, and Ms. Albright was instructed to wait a few days and check her patient portal for the results. In her suit, Ms. Albright claims those results were abnormal. Despite this, neither the nurse practitioner nor anyone else at the practice scheduled a follow-up test or other diagnostic assessment.
Approximately 5 months later, Ms. Albright consulted a new physician, whose follow-up testing indicated that Ms. Albright had a cervical squamous cell carcinoma.
Ms. Albright’s suit alleges that the diagnostic delay has, among other things, caused her to undergo multiple surgical procedures and treatments, face a shorter life expectancy, and endure a loss in the quality of her life.
At press time, Ms. Albright and her legal representative have not yet determined the amount they will ask for – it will be set after the severity and permanency of Ms. Albright’s injuries have been more thoroughly investigated. But it’s expected that they will seek damages, along with all legal and court expenses.
The defendants haven’t responded to the plaintiff’s suit.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.