title: Every woman with an abnormal cervical smear should be referred for treatment: debate.
abstract: No dispute exists regarding the optimal management of women with moderate or severe dyskaryosis (high grade SIL). These women should have a colposcopic assessment and biopsy. Women with borderline nuclear abnormalities should have a repeat smear and undergo colposcopy only if the abnormality persists. Low-grade abnormalities (low-grade SIL) are common, and their management is relevant. We suggest that these women be referred for an immediate colposcopic assessment for the following reasons: a. a policy of cytologic surveillance allows an opportunity for default, and these women are at an increased risk of invasive cancer. b. a significant proportion of these women will have underlying CIN grade III that should be treated. c. a minority of these women revert to cytologic normality without a recurrent dyskaryotic smear and, therefore, eventually will be referred to colposcopy. d. a policy of immediate referral to colposcopy may be financially less expensive and avoid unnecessary anxiety to the woman during the period of undergoing repeated smears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flannelly
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitchener
mesh_terms: D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003127:Colposcopy; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003663:Decision Trees; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy