The
Pap smear, as it is currently known, is an invention of Dr.
Georgios Papanikolaou (1883-1962), an American of Greek birth, the father of
cytopathology.
He first 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.
Doctors who fail to
diagnose cervical cancer, from a pap smear, have been convicted of
negligent homicide; as in the case of
Karin Smith.
External links
Category:Eponymous medical tests
Category:Oncology
Category:Gynecology
es:Prueba de Papanicolaou
it:Pap test
ms:Ujian lumur PAP