Misread cancer test brings review of 500

The Washington Hospital in western Pennsylvania said it would review at least 500 Pap smear slides after one woman claimed the hospital’s pathologists misread her tests for five consecutive years. A later review of the woman’s slides revealed a clear progression from pre-cancerous cells to an invasive carcinoma. Luckily, after finally being diagnosed with cervical cancer, she responded well to treatment and is now free of cancer. But the hospital, in Washington, Pa., was taking the matter seriously, saying it had consulted with independent experts to evaluate any issues and was working to identify any patient safety concerns, noted The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In a statement, it said:  “The Hospital is also cooperating with independent agencies to evaluate the quality of pathology services, and preliminary results have not identified any widespread deficiencies in Pap smear interpretation. In the event that patient safety concerns are identified or verified, the hospital is prepared to follow up with individual patients and their physicians.” The reviews were initiated after Jennifer Beiswenger, 30, of Canonsburg, filed a lawsuit in October against the hospital, its pathology lab and eight doctors. Get more information about cancer lawsuits.