Pap smear

From Freepedia

The Pap smear, as it is currently known (smear test in some countries), is an invention of Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou (1883-1962), an American of Greek birth, the father of cytopathology.

Based on his thirty years of work at New York Hospital and the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Papanikolaou published a large series of cases in Diagnosis of uterine cancer by the vaginal smear (Papanicolaou & Traut, 1943). The sampling technique has hardly changed ever since.

The test is simple and effective, consisting of a simple cervical swab to collect a sampling of cells. These cells are placed on a glass slide and checked for abnormalities in the laboratory. Approximately five to seven percent of pap smears produce abnormal results, such as dysplasia, a possibly pre-cancerous condition. Many of these abnormalities are not due to cervical cancer, but they are an indicator that increased vigilance is needed.

Depending on the guidelines of the screening programme in a given country, it is recommended that all sexually active women have an annual or biannual pap smear and examination to detect any cancer in its early stages. If a smear returns abnormal results, and depending on the nature of the abnormality, the test may need to be repeated in three to twelve months. If the abnormality requires closer scrutiny, the patient may be referred for a colposcopy.

In the United States, doctors who fail to diagnose cervical cancer from a pap smear have been convicted of negligent homicide, as in the case of Karin Smith. In 1988 and 1989, Smith had received pap smears which were argued to have "unequivocally" shown that she had cancer; however, the lab had not made the diagnosis. She consequently died on March 8 1995. After her death, a doctor and laboratory technician were found to be guilty of negligent homicide.