False-negative cytology rates in patients in whom invasive cervical cancer subsequently developed.
The 3-year screening interval recommended by the American Cancer Society would appear to decrease the detection of premalignant and malignant disease. The authors have shown that 20% of study patients in whom subsequently invasive cervical cancer developed had at least 2 negative Papanicolaou smears within 3 years of the diagnosis of cancer. Moreover, the majority of false-negative results in the series could be attributed to sample error. The authors recommend yearly or at least biennial cervical cytologic screening.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011336:Probability; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears