Evaluation of a public expense-covered gynecologic screening program in Japan 2005-2009

Introduction: In Japan, there is free physical checkup programs of cancer screening, by which asymptomatic participants undergo a medical examination at public expense. The present study aims to describe their gynecologic findings and compare them with the literatures reported from general hospitals and selfpaid check-up programs. Methods: Medical records of Japanese women, who underwent gynecological examinations at public expense between 2005 and 2009, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Of the cervical smears from 2850 women aged 21 82 years, 33 (1.1%) were classified as dysplastic and malignant changes: 28 of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 3 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), 2 atypical squamous cells of undeterimined significance (ASC-US). No case of cervical squamous cell carcinoma or adenocarcinoma was found. Ultrasonographic examination detected uterus enlargements and ovary tumors in less than 1% of cases. Most of participants (98%) revealed no gynecologic abnormalities. Conclusion: Annual gynecologic screening and proper follow-up programs even against asymptomatic women may remarkably reduce the probability of (pre)malignant disease.