Comparison of cell collection and direct visualization cervical cancer screening adjuncts

Worldwide, invasive cancer of the cervix is the second most common malignancy in women. Each year, approximately 400,000 women are diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix, whereas 200,000 women die from the disease. In the United States, in 2002, there were 12,900 newly diagnosed cases of invasive cervical cancer and 4,400 cervical cancer-related deaths. Data from a recent meta-analysis found that the mean sensitivity of the conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) smear in screening populations was only 47%. These data, and others, underscore the need for more reliable and sensitive methods to screen for cervical cancer precursors. One example is the PapSure screening examination, at this point the only in-office direct visual cervical screening examination cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration. This cervical screening examination combines the traditional Pap smear with a direct visual screening test, speculoscopy (ie, visual inspection of the cervix with a chemiluminescent light, the Speculite).