[Screening of cervical cancer, an action of public health, a problem of society].
Well organized, the cervical cancer screening is very efficient and theoretically allows a decrease of the cumulative incidence of 93.5% if smears are taken each year, and 90.8% if it is taken every three years. However, this screening is regularly controversed concerning the age of the target population and the frequency of the smear. It is important that the health authorities are aware that the screening can only be justified if well managed, well evaluated, and endowed with a quality insurance system. In France, the conditions of an efficient screening are not gathered. The practitioners should have a minimum education in public health in order to be able to understand well that screening does not obey the same ethical, deontological rules and organization that the curative medicine. Imposing a high frequency of the smear has deleterious effects on women and is responsible of a bad use of the resources.
Schaffer
P
P
Laboratoire d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Faculté de Médecine, Strasbourg.
D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011634:Public Health; D012940:Social Problems; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*
Le dépistage du cancer du col de l'utérus, une action de santé publique, un problème de société.