Dysplasia, Carcinoma in Situ, and Invasive Carcinoma of the Cervix Uteri in Previously Screened Women

Abstract

The authors have reviewed smears from previously screened women who developed dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, or invasive carcinoma. The study had two main purposes: to evaluate if the process had developed between the two screenings, or if it had already started at the time of the first screening. to elucidate by histology the cell differentiation and the topographical localization of the epithelial changes in the uterine cervix. As study material was used a group of 108 women examined at a mass-screening project, and who at the time of the second screening had developed lesions of the types mentioned above. Forty-three cases in this group had their smears revised to higher cytological classes. The results indicate that neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix, detected in mass-screenings at two years interval, seem to progress slowly and to be of limited extension and of low grade malignancy. This is in contrast to lesions detected between two screenings, which are of high grade malignancy and seem to be fast growing.