Cross sectional study of conventional cervical smear, monolayer cytology, and human papillomavirus DNA testing for cervical cancer screening

Abstract

What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic New technologies have been developed to improve the detection of cervical cancer and its precursors and reduce the rate of false negative results from conventional cervical smear tests In several countries liquid based monolayer cytology is replacing conventional smear tests, despite controversy about whether these more expensive tests perform better What this study adds What this study adds Conventional cervical smear testing is superior in terms of low and high grade lesions and in populations with a low or a high incidence of abnormalities Monolayer testing is less reliable and should not replace conventional cervical smear testing What is already known on this topic What is already known on this topic New technologies have been developed to improve the detection of cervical cancer and its precursors and reduce the rate of false negative results from conventional cervical smear tests In several countries liquid based monolayer cytology is replacing conventional smear tests, despite controversy about whether these more expensive tests perform better What this study adds What this study adds Conventional cervical smear testing is superior in terms of low and high grade lesions and in populations with a low or a high incidence of abnormalities Monolayer testing is less reliable and should not replace conventional cervical smear testing