In addition, ALTS researchers will analyze findings to learn more about mild cervical abnormalities and their relationship to cancer. For instance, they hope to gain information about immune system factors that may help determine whether a mild abnormality goes away without treatment or progresses to a more severe abnormality. Cervical cancer screening 9. Most laboratories in the United States now use the Bethesda System for reporting Pap test results. This system divides cervical cell abnormalities into three major categories.
Squamous cells are the thin flat cells that form the surface of the cervix.
HSIL is more severe and has a higher likelihood of progressing to invasive cancer. In a traditional Pap test, cells are collected from the cervix with a spatula and brush or swab, which is then wiped across a glass slide. The slide is sent to a laboratory, where a cytologist examines it under a microscope for any signs of abnormality. The conventional methods, though effective in the majority of cases, do not have 100 percent accuracy. New methods of collecting and reading cervical cells are under investigation to reduce the false negative rate.