THE VALUE OF CERVICAL SCREENING IN WOMEN OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE - TIME FOR A MULTICENTER AUDIT

This study reviews the cervical smear history of women developing CIN aged over 50 years to consider if they might be discharged sooner from the cervical screening programme in Tayside Region. From the OCCURS d atabase all women over 50 years who developed CIN between I Jan 1993 a nd 30 June 1996 were identified and their smear history obtained. Resu lts show that had women been discharged from the screening programme a t age 50 following three consecutive negative smears and a negative ex it smear then only two women with CIN 3 and one with microinvasive dis ease would have been missed in the subsequent three and a half years. A wider geographical survey of the incidence of CIN in this older age group is needed to determine whether it is cost beneficial and cost ef fective to continue cervical screening beyond the age of 50 years.