title: The evolution of the Papanicolaou smear.
abstract: The Papanicolaou smear or cervicovaginal cytology has been the mainstay of screening for cervical cancer in women of over 60 years. In this article, the origins of the Pap smear as a screening method and the many changes associated with the use of the Pap smear are detailed.
authors: Cytopathology Fellowship Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. rtambouret@partners.org
authors: Rosemary H
authors: RH
authors: Tambouret
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000266:history; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000266:history* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards