CERVICAL CYTOLOGY REPORTED AS NEGATIVE AND RISK OF ADENOCARCINOMA OF THE CERVIX - NO STRONG EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT

The relationship between negative cervical cytology reports and risk o f adenocarcinoma of the cervix was evaluated in a case-control study o f 113 cases and 452 controls. All cases and controls had received at l east two negative cytology reports. There was no significant differenc e between the cases and controls in the number of negative cytology re ports or in history of cervical abnormality; while a test for trend in the time since last negative cytology report was significant (P<0.001 ), the estimated benefit was very modest. Although the estimates of re lative protection were higher in women aged less than 35 years than in women aged 35-69 years, this difference was not statistically signifi cant. These results suggest that cervical screening as practised in th e 1970s and 1980s was much less effective in preventing adenocarcinoma than squamous carcinoma of the cervix.