April 1999, Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 5 - 7

Opinion

The status of screening for cervical cancer AB Miller Senior Epidemiologist, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon, France     Correspondence to: AB Miller , Senior Epidemiologist, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 150 cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon, France. Email: E-mail: miller@iarc.fr

Keywords

cancer of the cervix;   cervical smears;   natural history;   screening

Abstract

The present status of screening for cancer of the cervix as a major contributor to cancer control, especially in developing countries, is reviewed. There has been a relative failure to apply the lessons learnt through research into the application of screening in the last two decades in many countries. Organized screening programmes have been successful in the Nordic countries, as have expensive opportunistic screening approaches in North America. Although knowledge on the aetiology of the disease may eventually lead to control through primary prevention, it is essential that the information we now have on the natural history of the disease should be utilised in all countries, if our expectations for the new millenium are to be achieved.

^© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 1999