Cervical Cancer
A Pap smear is a cervical cancer test that involves taking a sample of cells from a woman's cervix (lower, narrow end of the uterus). When caught in an early stage, cervical cancer has a much better chance of being cured.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) says about 55 million Pap smears are performed annually in the U.S. Some 6 percent of the tests, or 3.5 million, are abnormal.The NIH says routine Pap tests can prevent most cases of invasive cervical cancer.
According to the Mayo Clinic it is generally recommended that women receive a Pap test a minimum of once every three years starting no later than age 21. Women over age 65 with a long history of normal Pap smears (10 years or more) can usually stop having regular Pap tests. Women who have undergone surgery to remove the uterus and cervix (hysterectomy) may no longer require routine Pap smears except in cases when the hysterectomy was performed due to precancer or cancer.
Dysplasia
A Pap smear can identify suspicious cells that may precipitate invasive cervical cancer (cancer that has moved beyond the area where it started and is growing into surrounding tissues). Dysplasia is a word used to define cells that appear abnormal under a microscope but are not cancer. These precancerous abnormalities can be removed before they become malignant.
Sample Cells
According to University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), during a Pap test your doctor will collect a sample of cells from the cervix with a spatula type device that is used to gently scrape the exterior of the cervix. A small pipe-cleaner type brush is then inserted in the vagina. The smear is placed on a glass slide or in a bottle with a stabilizer for laboratory testing.
If the Pap test shows an unidentifiable or slight abnormality, your doctor may conduct the smear again to decide whether additional tests are needed.
