[French pathologist' implication in cervical cancer screening]

The cytological test issue mostly from individual opportunistic or for some department from organized screening programme, must benefit of the same quality in all the procedures. Pathologists are very implicated in. The purpose of this document is to summarize cytopathologists' initiatives and to present their specific tools for that. The French association for quality assurance in pathology (AFAQAP) has been validated by HAS in March 2006 for EPP. Commission 1 of AFAQAP organized an annual voluntary test for diagnostic evaluation since 2000 with the adoption of new technologies (CD-rom, virtual digital slides), and in 2005 a test of Pap Smear reporting quality concerning TBS 2001 use. A referring evaluation on this theme is in press. Furthermore pathologists made tools are available to codify lesions they diagnose (ADICAP), to collect and to study data (FCRISAP), to standardize the histological and cytological reports (CRFS), to evaluate the procedures and structural requirements and techniques. Pathologists participate in the elaboration of national guidelines (ANAES 1998 et 2002, DGS 2006) and performance indicators with InVS. The cervix cancer screening programme must take in account and valorises the role of pathologists according to assessment of efficacy and evaluation of the screening.