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Cervical cancer screening is a medical screening test designed to identify risk of cervical cancer. Cervical screening may involve looking for viral DNA, and/or to identify abnormal, potentially precancerous cells within the cervix as well as cells that have progressed to early stages of cervical cancer .
The Papanicolaou test (abbreviated as Pap test, also known as Pap smear (AE), [1] cervical smear (BE), cervical screening (BE), [2] or smear test (BE)) is a method of cervical screening used to detect potentially precancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix (opening of the uterus or womb) or, more rarely, anus (in both men and women). [3]
Colposcopy is not generally performed for people with pap test results showing low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) or less. SILs are an abnormal growth of epithelial cells, known as a lesion, on the surface of the cervix. Unless the person has a visible lesion, colposcopy for this population does not detect a recurrence of cancer. [10]
About 1,000 women per year die of cervical cancer in the UK. All of the Nordic countries have cervical cancer-screening programs in place. [132] The Pap test was integrated into clinical practice in the Nordic countries in the 1960s. [132] In Africa outcomes are often worse as diagnosis is frequently at a latter stage of disease. [133]
Cervicography is no more sensitive than Pap smear screening, and has a higher false positive rate (thus increasing the number of colposcopies needed). [ 3 ] [ 4 ] Whether cervicography could have a role in countries where Pap smear screening programs are not in place depends on cost effectiveness and remained to be determined as of 1998. [ 4 ]
But on April 30, 2024, the USPTF issued a statement changing its guidelines to recommend that all women assigned female at birth between age 40 and 74 should get a screening every other year.
The consequences of overdiagnosis and overtreatment resulting from cancer screening can lead to a decline in quality of life, due to the adverse effects of unnecessary medication and hospitalization. [10] [12] [13] The accuracy of a cancer screening test relies on its sensitivity, and low sensitivity screening tests can overlook cancers. [10]
Cervical cancer is usually screened through in vitro examination of the cells of the cervix (e.g. Pap smear), colposcopy, or direct inspection of the cervix (after application of dilute acetic acid), or testing for HPV, the oncogenic virus that is the necessary cause of cervical cancer. [39] Screening is recommended for women over 21 years ...