Can we improve the detection of glandular cervical lesions: the role and limitations of the Pap smear diagnosis atypical glandular cells (AGC).

摘要

In the United States and other developed countries with robust cervical cancer screening programs, the rate of diagnosis of squamous cervical cancer has decreased significantly. Coincidentally, however, there has been an increase in the proportion and total number of cervical adenocarcinomas [1 ]. The reasons for this increase are multi-factorial and include the successful recognition and treatment of squamous precursor lesions, the low sensitivity of the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear in diagnosing glandular lesions, and the difficulty in correctly sampling and recognizing glandular lesions by clinicians due to their location in the endocervical canal. The false negative rate for the conventional Pap smear in diagnosing glandular cervical lesions is high, and the colposcopic findings present for squamous lesions are often absent in glandular cancers and their precursors.