Screening protocols for cervical neoplastic disease

Recently, changes have been recommended in regimens for screening for cervical neoplastic disease. These changes are based on a variety of statistical and epidemiological assumptions. These assumptions are examined here together with available data from several sources. A discussion of the characteristics of indices of use in evaluating the potential effects of screening protocols is presented. An analysis of the data is shown which provides evidence that the changes recommended in the interval between successive Papanicolaou smears may result in an increase in the incidence of invasive cervical cancer in the population over time.