CYTOLOGIC SCREENING FOR CERVIX CANCER - EACH YEAR OR EACH 3 YEARS

Screening is the systematic proposal of a medical procedure to a defin ed population at a defined interval. The efficacy and effectiveness of screening can only be demonstrated by a decreased mortality (not leth ality) in case-control studies or randomised prospective studies. For cervix cancer, the only test with a decreased mortality proven by case -control studies (since 1979 only) is the cervix cytologic screening o r 'Pap' smear. Systematic proposal is proven to be optimal every three years, no further gain being demonstrated for annual or biennial scre ening.