The current status of screening for uterine cancer

The screening program for cervix cancer in the Province of British Columbia appears to have reached a stable state. It has achieved a reduction in incidence of clinical squamous carcinoma in women over 20 of about 75% and reduction in mortality of about two thirds. Data has been presented to suggest that no further improvement in these rates should be forthcoming in a voluntary program such as ours. There has been a real increase in the numbers of in situ carcinomas found in our population but despite this increase clinical invasive carcinoma has not risen and we attribute this to the success of the program in intercepting disease before it becomes invasive. Endometrial carcinoma has not increased in our population and we do not feel that the current methods for early detection of this disease are applicable to a province-wide study. We intend to continue to emphasize the earliest possible investigation of abnormal peri- and postmenopausal bleeding by fractional curettage, as our mainstay of detection.