Experts Back New Awareness Campaign

Leading medical law experts have backed a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of delays to cervical cancer screenings after seeing first hand the devastating impact the illness can have on women’s lives.

The warning comes from national law firm Irwin Mitchell ahead of National Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, which runs from 23rd-29th January 2011.

Figures show that 2,800 new cases of cervical cancer are reported in the UK each year, half of which involve women under the age of 50. And, worryingly, it is claimed 20 per cent of women are currently failing to attend cervical cancer screenings when invited to do so.

Julia Cotterill from the North East office of Irwin Mitchell said: “Every year Irwin Mitchell deals with scores of cases in which people have had their lives shattered because of unnecessary delays in diagnosing various forms of cancer, including cervical.

“Our cases involve delays to diagnosis and treatment for a number of reasons, from misdiagnosis to lost details, and the results can be devastating. It’s surprising to see how many women each year are failing to attend cervical cancer screenings.

“The earlier cervical cancer is caught, the better the outcome. Nobody ever regrets having a screening – but they may well regret delaying or avoiding them.”

Case Study – Jill Strachan
A Sunderland mum who has successfully battled against cervical cancer is urging anyone who is sexually active to attend regular screenings.

Jill Strachan, 47, a mum of one who was diagnosed with the disease in March 2007, has experienced first hand the devastating effects that delays in diagnosis can have on women and their families. She is investigating the delay in her own diagnosis with help from Irwin Mitchell.

Jill said: “My journey has been a long and difficult one. As part of my treatment I underwent extensive surgery to remove the tumour and to help prevent the cancer from returning and as a result I can no longer have any more children.

“I really cannot emphasise enough how important cervical cancer screening is. Identifying cancer at the earliest possible stages can give the best prognosis so women should avoid delaying or missing their screenings.

“Even if women receive the all clear, but later suffer symptoms they mustn’t ignore their body and should arrange to see their GP as soon as possible. I will be eternally grateful to Miss K Galaal and staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead for their treatment and support.”

If you have suffered due to a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis or misdiagnosed cervical cancer, our medical negligence lawyers could help you claim compensation. Call 0808 163 4557 for a free initial consultation or see our Cancer Misdiagnosis Claims page for more details.