[Disappointing effectiveness of population screening for cervical cancer]

Systematical screening by cytological cervix examination has not reduced the mortality from cervical carcinoma as much as was expected. One important cause of this is the varying sensitivity of the screening owing to the large number of smears, most of which are normal. Some improvement of the effect of screening might be achieved by combination with computer-assisted microscopical evaluation and with testing for human papilloma virus (PV).