Cancer diagnosis after a report of negative cervical cytology

Abstract

Objectives: 1. To determine the annual rate of interval squamous cancer of the cervix after a negative Papanicolaou smear report. 2. To evaluate the proportion of women with cervical cancer who received negative cervical smear reports during the three years before the cancer diagnosis. Design and setting: Objective 1. A prospective study of the incidence of squamous cervical cancer from 1990 to 1993 among women who received negative cervical smear results in Victoria in 1990. Objective 2. A retrospective audit of preceding cervical smear results from 1990 to 1993 in women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Victoria in 1993. Results: The average interval cervical cancer rate was 2.54 squamous ..