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Abstract

Title: Cervicography screening for cervical cancer among 8460 women in a high-risk population.
Author: Schneider DL, Herrero R, Bratti C, Greenberg MD, Hildesheim A, Sherman ME, Morales J, Hutchinson ML, Sedlacek TV, Lorincz A, Mango L, Wacholder S, Alfaro M, Schiffman M
Journal: Am J Obstet Gynecol 180(2 Pt 1):290-298
Year: 1999
Month: February

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Cervicography was evaluated as a primary screening method for cervical cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Cervigrams of 8460 women were taken on enrollment into a population-based study of cervical neoplasia. Cervicography results were compared with a referent diagnosis determined by histologic analysis and 3 cytologic tests, and with the performance of conventional cytologic evaluation. RESULTS: Cervicography identified all 11 cancers, whereas cytologic testing missed 1. Cervicography yielded sensitivities for detecting high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or cancer of 49.3% overall (specificity, 95.0%), 54.6% in women younger than 50 years of age, and 26.9% in women 50 years of age and older. Cytologic testing yielded sensitivities for detecting high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or cancer of 77.2% overall (specificity, 94. 2%), 75.5% in women younger than 50 years of age, and 84.6% in women 50 years of age and older. CONCLUSIONS: Cytologic testing performed better than cervicography for the detection of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions. Cervicography performed marginally better than cytologic testing for the detection of invasive cervical cancer. Cervicography is not recommended for postmenopausal women.