Advances in cervical screening technology

Mod Pathol. 2000 Mar;13(3):275-84. doi: 10.1038/modpathol.3880048.

Abstract

The Pap smear unquestionably is a successful screening test for cervical cancer. However, recent advances in technology have raised questions regarding whether the conventional Pap smear is still the standard of care. This article relates issues of screening and cost-effectiveness to the state of the art in thin layer preparations, cytology automation, human papillomavirus screening, human papillomavirus vaccines, and other cervical screening adjuncts. Perhaps nowhere in medicine is clinical decision making being more strongly influenced by market and other external forces than in cervical cytopathology.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Automation
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / methods
  • Mass Screening* / economics
  • Mass Screening* / instrumentation
  • Mass Screening* / trends
  • Papanicolaou Test*
  • Papillomaviridae / immunology
  • Papillomaviridae / isolation & purification
  • Papillomavirus Infections / diagnosis
  • Papillomavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Papillomavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Tumor Virus Infections / diagnosis
  • Tumor Virus Infections / epidemiology
  • Tumor Virus Infections / prevention & control
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • Vaginal Smears* / economics
  • Vaginal Smears* / instrumentation
  • Vaginal Smears* / trends
  • Viral Vaccines

Substances

  • Vaccines, Synthetic
  • Viral Vaccines