Incorrectly reported results of three Pap tests led to cervical cancer in Manitoba women, the lawsuit alleges

A Manitoba woman suing a doctor and a diagnostic company says three inaccurate results led to her diagnosis of stage one cervical cancer, which required treatments that left her infertile.

The woman is accusing Dynacare and a Manitoba doctor of negligence after she was wrongly told three Pap tests found no abnormalities in her cervix, claims a statement filed in Manitoba Court of King’s Bench on Dec. 13.

The doctor is the pathologist who allegedly examined the woman’s cervical tissue samples for two of three Pap tests performed between 2014 and 2016, according to the lawsuit. Dynacare was involved in all three trials.

But the woman says she later learned that those tests were actually positive for precancerous or cancerous cells, and that one suggested she be tested again within six months. She claims that misdiagnosis and untreated cells led to the cancer.

The woman says she was diagnosed with stage 1B1 cervical cancer after completing a Pap test in early 2018.

None of the allegations have been proven in court. No objection has been filed yet.

After her cancer diagnosis, the woman says she underwent fertility surgeries that were only available outside of Manitoba. The location of the cancer also required her to undergo radiation therapy, which she says left her infertile.

She alleges that Dynacare and the doctor’s negligence deprived her of a timely and accurate diagnosis as well as immediate treatment, which worsened her condition and put her life at risk.

The doctor failed to seek a second opinion from a pathologist and failed to protect the woman’s health, the suit alleges, while Dynacare provided her with “substandard care” by employing inadequately trained staff and lacking a quality assurance system to ensure accurate specimen results. .

The woman will “continue to bear pain”: suit

The woman suffered physical, emotional and psychological pain after aggressive cancer treatment left her infertile, as well as a loss of income, the lawsuit states.

She has received and continues to require specialized treatment and care, including out-of-province medical assistance, as well as counseling and fertility treatments such as surrogacy services.

She is seeking general damages with three percent interest, saying she will “continue to suffer pain, loss of pleasure and amenities of life.”

She is also seeking special damages for all past, present and future out-of-pocket expenses for medical and fertility treatments and a loss of household capacity.

A Dynacare spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit because the matter is before the courts.