Cervical screening in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, 1995-2001.
OBJECTIVE
To describe results of cervical cytology screening among low-income and uninsured women in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.


METHODS
We analyzed data from 750,591 women who received their first Papanicolaou (Pap) test in the program between July 1995 and March 2001.


RESULTS
Nearly 85% of the women were aged 40 years or older. Almost half were members of racial or ethnic minority groups. Overall, the percentage of abnormal Pap test results decreased with increasing age. The rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were highest in the younger age groups but the rate of invasive cancer increased with age. White women had the highest age-adjusted percentage of abnormal Pap test results and the highest rate of biopsy-confirmed CIN 2 or worse.


CONCLUSIONS
In this nationwide screening program, only 7% of all biopsy-confirmed high-grade cervical lesions (CIN 2 or worse) were invasive cancer. This underscores the success of Pap screening in identifying preinvasive disease and preventing cancer.


METHODS
II-3
Benard
Vicki B
VB
Epidemiology and Health Services Research Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/NCCDPHP, 4770 Buford Highway NE, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. vdb9@cdc.gov
Eheman
Christie R
CR
Lawson
Herschel W
HW
Blackman
Donald K
DK
Anderson
Christa
C
Helsel
William
W
Thames
Sandra F
SF
Lee
Nancy C
NC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology; D014626:Vaginal Smears; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000473:pathology