Benefits and risks of cervical cancer screening.

Accessible online at: www.karger.com/ort Fax +49 761 4 52 07 14 [email protected] www.karger.com Benefits and Risks of Cervical Cancer Screening The mechanism of secondary cancer prevention is based on the detection of precursor lesions that are surgically excised. Hereby, the natural cycle of carcinogenesis is interrupted, and development of cervical cancer is prevented actively. In the case of complete excision of precancer and all SCJ cells, the subsequent risk for invasive cervical cancer is negligible [6]. This distinguishes screening for cervical cancer fundamentally from screening concepts for breast or prostate cancer which intend to reduce mortality from these cancers. Detection of cervical precancer can be achieved with cytology-based programs implemented decades ago, or even more efficiently with HPV screening for women aged 30 years or older.