Mom, 43, Told Pap Smear Was Clear Only to Find Out Test Was Misread; Diagnosed with Cervical Cancer 3 Years Later

According to the story reported in the Stoke Sentinel, the hospital had given her incorrect results back in 2014. If the correct report had been issued, there's a much higher probability that treatment could have begun sooner, and no hysterectomy would have been necessary. As it was, however, she developed cervical cancer, and the hysterectomy left the mother of one unable to have any more children.

HPV Is Responsible For 5% Of Cancers In The World: An Advocate's Crucial Message

"I had always attended routine smears and had no reason to think anything other than what the results said,” she told the paper.  "To be told my previous result was abnormal came as a shock; but then to be told I had cancer and to have a hysterectomy was devastating. It was something I wasn't prepared for.”

Cervical Cancer Screenings: Who, When, & Why

While Foley's story shouldn't alarm women that their screening results may be wrong, it is an important reminderduring January, which is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and all yearthat highlights just how vital early detection and treatment are when it comes to fighting this deadly disease. Cervical cancer rates have plummeted in recent years, thanks to increased screenings and the HPV vaccine. But those screenings must be done regularly.

New guidelines released by the American Cancer Society last summer state:

• Women 25 and over should start cervical cancer screenings.
• If primary HPV testing is available, it should be done every five years. If not, a co-test (a combined HPV test and Pap test) should be done every five years or a Pap test every three years.
• Women over 65 who have had regular screenings during the last 10 years (with normal results and no history of CIN2 or more serious diagnosis within the past 25 years) can stop cervical cancer screening.

Related: New Cervical Cancer Test Detects Disease Significantly Better Than HPV Test and Pap Smear

Far too many women think they don't need Pap tests or other screenings or make excuses for not getting them. But even if you're done having children, only have "safe" sex or have received the HPV vaccine, you still need to follow the screening guidelines.

Can Older Women Skip Some Cancer Screenings? It's Important to Pay Attention to Guidelines

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Kimberly Levinson, Director of Johns Hopkins Gynecologic Oncology at Greater Baltimore Medical Center, stressed the importance of these screenings.

Related: 5 Well-Known Women Who Have Battled Cervical Cancer Survivors Like Erin Andrews & Judy Blume Inspire

"This is not a cancer that produces symptoms early on," she said. "So it is absolutely critical that we have women being screened so that we can prevent this disease."

Why the HPV Vaccine is So Important

Human papillomavirus (HPV), which can be transmitted through sexual contact, is the most common cause of cervical cancer. More than 70 percent of cervical cancers are caused by it. It’s also linked to throat cancer and other cancers.

Fortunately, the HPV vaccine can prevent 90 percent of them, but it must be administered. It’s usually given in several doses starting around the age of 11-12 (but as early as age 9) and is recommended for those up to age 26.

Related: Stress & Cancer: Dramatic New Evidence That A Woman's Mental State Can Affect The Death Rate in Cervical Cancer

"Both boys and girls should be vaccinated with HPV to prevent cervical cancer in women, throat cancer in men, as well as anal cancer in both men and women because those are HPV-related malignancies as well," Dr. Ted Teknos, scientific director of the Seidman Cancer Center at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview.

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