Authors' objectives:

To review the available evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of liquid-based cytology in cervical screening.

Authors' results and conclusions: Effectiveness: There is some evidence that liquid-based cytological methods offer the following advantages over traditional smear techniques: - a reduction in the proportion of inadequate specimens - an improvement in sensitivity - a possible reduction in specimen interpretation times.

Authors' recommendations: From the evidence available, it is likely that the liquid-based cytology technique will reduce the number of false-negative test results, reduce the number of unsatisfactory specimens and may decrease the time needed for examination of specimens by cytologists. It is not possible to be certain whether this will reduce the incidence of invasive cancer, but modelling studies have suggested that this would occur. In this review, it became clear that increasing the coverage of the programme, and the use of more effective cervical specimen collection devices are also important ways of reducing the burden of the invasive cervical cancer. The use of automated image analysis devices, and of other testing of the specimens (such as for human papillomavirus) have not been covered in this review.

Authors' methods: Systematic review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.hta.ac.uk/1171

Year Published: 2000

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme

Contact Address: NIHR Journals Library, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre, Alpha House, University of Southampton Science Park, Southampton SO16 7NS, UK

Contact Name: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

Contact Email: journals.library@nihr.ac.uk

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