Cervical screening in the UK and laboratory quality control in the context of the 2007 European guidelines.

The first part of this article will provide an overview of cervical cancer screening in the UK during the years before, during and after the introduction of a highly successful centrally organised cervical screening programme in 1988: since then the incidence of invasive cervical cancer has fallen by more than 40%. Screening was introduced in a background of opportunistic screening with poor quality control during a period of time when risk of disease was increasing, which will be demonstrated by national registrations of carcinoma in situ as well as invasive cancer. The programme is still facing new challenges and has recently recorded falling screening coverage in younger women, the causes of which have yet to be established. Liquid-based cytology is in the process of being rolled out nationally but high-risk human papillomavirus testing has yet to be introduced into the National Health Service (NHS) programme. Lessons from our experience may be relevant to countries introducing and maintaining organised programmes elsewhere under similar circumstances. The second part of the article will consider laboratory quality control as practiced in the UK and as recommended in the second edition of the European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Cervical Cancer Screening. These evidence-based guidelines provide recommendations for organising and monitoring quality control as well as for introducing new technology and standardising terminology, which are equally relevant for new and existing programmes. Invasive cancer audit may highlight areas where procedures could be improved in any programme but also can also demonstrate the effectiveness of screening.