Cytology, colposcopy and cervical neoplasia

There have been suggestions that the failure to reduce the incidence of cervical carcinoma in New Zealand is due to a failure to take cervical smears from women at risk, and to appropriately manage those with abnormal smears. Review of data collected from a clinic in Christchurch over a four-year interval found that the majority of those with invasive cancer had never had a smear taken, or had not had smears taken frequently enough. There was evidence that cytology does not always correlate with definitive histology, and that patients with abnormal smears sometimes experienced lengthy delays before being referred for management. Comments are made on who should have smears, how often, and how women with abnormal smears should be managed.