A clinician's guide to Pap smear interpretation

Cervical cancer is the seventh most common cause of death from cancer in the United States and the most common cause of cancer in women around the world. In the United States, in 1995 alone, there were 15,800 cases of invasive cervical cancer that resulted in 4,800 deaths. The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screen has helped in the identification of preinvasive disease, and, in fact, the cure rate for cervical disease is greater than 95% with early diagnosis using this test. This article discusses the risk factors for cervical disease, the essentials of diagnosis, the comparison of Pap smear classification systems, treatment guidelines, referral protocols, and future screening techniques for cervical disease.