Chest X-Ray

Cervical cancer is staged clinically. This means that if the tumor is very early and only detected by a biopsy, then a cold-knife cone is performed to determine the depth of tumor invasion and thus the stage. If the patient has a visible lesion, then the tumor is staged based on a pelvic examination. During that examination, the physician is trying to assess tumor size and extent within the pelvis. A chest x-ray is commonly obtained to assure that there is no evidence of spread of disease. Surgery is not routinely used to stage cervical cancer.

There are so many ways. If you did not receive the x-ray your doctor ordered for you while in the hospital, you can summon your primary care nurse (the RN that is responsible for your daily care) and tell her your concern and ask her to follow up with your doctor. You can also call your doctor's office and speak to him/her or to his/her nurse about your concern.
You can also put a note in your chart asking the doctor to be sure to speak to you about this when he/she arrives for rounds.

The best way to prevent errors during a hospital stay is to be involved in your own care. If you are able to monitor and oversee your own hospital patient care, then get a notebook and write down your doctors' names and contact info, primary nurses' names and contact info, which tests, procedures, surgeries etc. you are to have done, on which date and by whom, your current list of medications, dosages, over-the-counter medications and supplements, allergies to medications. Keep this with you at all times. You will create your own form of a patient safety checklist while you are in the hospital and repeat it each time you encounter a medical professional.
For example, if a medical professional is about to give you medication, you might ask, "What is the name of that medication? The dosage? What is it for?" And then repeat your name, date of birth and what you are in the hospital for.
You are simply double-checking what each medical professional is going to do with you before they do it.
If you are unable to implement this type of strategy because you are ill, sedated, or recovering, ask a loved one to act as your advocate and do this for you. One person may not have the time to be with you most of the time. If this is the case, you can ask two to three loved ones to share the tasks, called an Advocate Team.