Invasive cancer of the cervix in women with mild dyskaryosis followed up cytologically

Abstract

From a survey of several cytology laboratories in England and Wales it is estimated that mild dyskaryosis is reported in just over 2% of all the samples taken in the United Kingdom.1 The management protocol for women with such abnormalities will have a substantial impact on the cost and effectiveness of the cervical screening programme. Some successful programmes in other countries have managed such women with repeated cervical smear tests,^2,3 but cytology is not a precise science and cross sectional, retrospective,^4,5 and prospective^6,7 colposcopic studies have shown that mild dyskaryosis is associated with a high prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia stage III. These data have led some to recommend that all women with mild dyskaryosis should be referred for colposcopy after the first such result.8