Current Aims and Challenges Associated With Cervical Cancer Prevention

Abstract

This chapter will review the current modalities available to the clinician to screen for premalignant and malignant cervical lesions, which cast a broad net. The majority who test positive are not destined to suffer from or die from cervical cancer. Many who undergo screening and are triaged are young and subsequently face a number of aggressive and destructive therapies. This calls into question whether higher-risk patients should be managed more aggressively than an average-risk patient represented in the study population used to craft the guidelines.