Evaluation of Sensitivity and Specificity of Pap Smear, LBC and HPV in Screening of Cervical Cancer

Background Cervical cancer ranks as the fourth leading cause of female cancer in the world, and it is the second most common female cancer in women aged 15–44 years. Strict implementation of screening programs has led to a large decline in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in developed countries. In contrast, cervical cancer remains largely uncontrolled in high-risk developing countries because of ineffective or no screening. Conventional Pap smear method has been the mainstay of most of the screening programs since decades. However, this technique is not without limitations and the sensitivity and specificity of cervical cytology are relatively low. To overcome the limitations of conventional Pap smear, liquid-based cytology was introduced in 1990s as a better tool for processing cervical samples. HPV testing alone or with cytology triage is currently increasingly being used as a primary screening approach for cervical neoplasia.