The main diagnostic method for detecting early precancerous diseases and oncological pathologies of the cervix today is a cytological examination of smears. This type of analysis is extremely effective, as it allows timely detection of various changes in the epithelium of the endo- and ectocervix at the earliest stage. According to WHO statistics, cervical cancer is one of the three most common diseases among the entire variety of female malignant tumors. This pathology occurs in about 25 of the fair sex out of every hundred thousand.
The occurrence of malignant neoplasms of the cervix affects mainly women aged 35 to 55 years. That is why the cytological examination of smears is incredibly important. It is recommended to undergo it annually for women who live an intense sexual life. Leading risk factors for cervical cancerexperts call infection with various varieties of the papilloma virus, smoking, chlamydia and herpes, chronic gynecological diseases, prolonged use of various contraceptives, frequent changes in sexual partners, lack of vitamins A and C in the body, immunodeficiency.
Now in many developed countries there are special preventive and diagnostic programs (which necessarily include a cytological examination of smears) that can prevent the development of cervical cancer. The Anti-Cancer Society of Russia recommends that women over twenty-five years of age undergo such a preventive examination at least once every three years. Such a mandatory frequency can significantly reduce the risk of developing invasive oncological pathology.
Cytological examination of smears makes it possible to study with a high degree of certainty all the features of the cellular structure of the surfaces of the cervix and respond in time to pathological changes in its structure. The method itself is based on a thorough analysis of cyclic changes in the vaginal epithelium. Cytological examination of cervical smears, which are taken according to the requirements, from three different parts of the vagina during a gynecological examination using a spatula and a special expander mirror, provides for a microscopic study of the ratio of three types of cells (superficial, intermediate, parabasal) and their morphologicalcharacteristics.
This method demonstrates the greatest sensitivity in relation to various precancerous changes in the structure of the squamous epithelium. Pathological transformation of the glands of the cervico-uterine canal is detected somewhat worse. The main drawback of this method of analysis is the impossibility of detecting adenocarcinoma, which often occurs in the aforementioned canal and is the cause of cancerous pathology of the cervix in almost twenty percent of cases, according to the latest statistics.
Cytological examination of a smear prepared from a cell suspension in modern gynecology is carried out using a special automatic analyzer. The results are evaluated according to the so-called Maryland system, the main advantage of which is that it allows you to clearly distinguish between benign changes (infectious and inflammatory nature, reactive and reparative nature) and truly atypical phenomena. Various changes in the structure of the smear are often caused not only by a tumor lesion of the cervix. Sometimes they are caused by dysplasia, oncological pathologies of the vulva and (occasionally) of the urinary tract.
