Cytological cervical screening by liquid medium sample

We report on the preliminary results of a series of 111,292 patients who be nefited from a liquid medium sample (CytoRich(R)) for cervical cancer scree ning. The number of dubious or limited smears was reduced by 0.03% and 0.53 % respectively. The junction rone was better explored, and metaplastic chan ges were observed in 35.71% of the cases. This method improved the identifi cation of low-grade lesions by +56% (2751/111,292; 2.47%) and of high-grade lesions by +75% (860/111,292; 0.77%), with a reduction in the number of AS CUS/AGUS by -44% (2065/111,292; 1.85%). This preliminary study confirms the results already published. The results demonstrating cytohistological corr elation should prove to be a decisive factor, enabling the testing of the s ensitivity and specificity of this technique. If will then be possible to e nvisage a future 'new paradigm' for screening cervical cancer as the result of a liquid medium sample, computer-assisted screening and HPV viral ident ification by Hybrid capture(R) II. (C) 1999 Editions scientifiques et medic ales Elsevier SAS.