Long-term outcome and relative risk in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance.
Few studies have compared long-term follow-up and risk for invasive cancer in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS). We conducted a 6-year review of pathology files for 651 women in whom ASCUS had been diagnosed in 1992. Data collected included patient demographics, follow-up diagnoses, time between follow-up examinations, and procedures performed. At follow-up, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) had developed in 9.0% of the women, and invasive cancer in none. Previous cervical history did not affect risk for an HSIL. Although the average time to first follow-up was 6.18 months, in 20.9% of the women the diagnosis of HSIL was not established until after 2.0 years. For individual pathologists, the percentage of HSILs ranged from 0% to 18.8%. Thus women with ASCUS who are followed up regularly are at low risk for development of invasive cancer.
Department of Pathology, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-4772, USA.
S S
SS
Raab
N S
NS
Bishop
M S
MS
Zaleski
D000328:Adult; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears