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Cervical Pap screening among Israeli women, 2005–2010

  • General Gynecology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

This study describes the distribution and the trends of cervical abnormalities in Israel, based on Pap smear results.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of cervical smears received by the Central Pathology Laboratory of Maccabi Healthcare Services between January 2005 and December 2010.

Results

In total, 711,541 Pap smears were screened in the study period. Cytological abnormalities were observed in 4.78 % of the total smears screened. An increase was observed in the rate of positive results from 2.63 % in 2005 to 6.78 % in 2010 (p = 0.0026). The cervical abnormalities in the study period distributed as follows: atypical squamous cell (ASC)—2.72 %, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL)—1.54 %, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)—0.34 %, squamous cell carcinoma—0.01 %, atypical glandular cells (AGC)—0.10 %, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS)—0.06 % and invasive adenocarcinoma—0.01 %. The increase was statistically significant for ASC (p = 0.0028), LSIL (p = 0.0069) and for HSIL (p = 0.0260). The mean ages at diagnosis of women with ASCUS, LSIL, HSIL, squamous cell carcinoma, AGC, AIS and adenocarcinoma were 37.8, 33.2, 38.6, 55.4, 41.1, 49.9 and 57.1 years, respectively.

Conclusions

The increase in the rate of squamous cell abnormalities demonstrated in this study emphasizes the need of implementing an education and a screening program among Israeli women. HPV vaccine, sexual behavior, cytology performance and HPV test are primary and secondary prevention tools which may reduce morbidity and mortality in the future. In addition, based on the age at diagnosis of the different pathologies, the age group in which Pap test is performed in Israel should be expanded from 35–54 to 25–65 years.

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Conflict of interest

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Ravit Bassal & Daniel Cohen

  2. Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Ravit Bassal & Lital Keinan-Boker

  3. Women Health Center, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Eduardo Schejter & Rachel Bachar

  4. Central Laboratory, Maccabi Healthcare Services, Institute of Pathology, Rehovot, Israel

    Hagit Shapira, Judith Sandbank, Lia Supino Rosin & Michael Schvimer

  5. Stanley Steyer Institute for Epidemiology and Research, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Daniel Cohen

  6. School of Public Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Lital Keinan-Boker

Authors
  1. Ravit Bassal
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  2. Eduardo Schejter
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  3. Rachel Bachar
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  4. Hagit Shapira
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  5. Judith Sandbank
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  6. Lia Supino Rosin
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  7. Michael Schvimer
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  8. Daniel Cohen
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  9. Lital Keinan-Boker
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ravit Bassal.

Additional information

This work was performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D. degree of Ravit Bassal, Sackler Faculty of medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.

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Bassal, R., Schejter, E., Bachar, R. et al. Cervical Pap screening among Israeli women, 2005–2010. Arch Gynecol Obstet 289, 615–622 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-013-3045-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-013-3045-z

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