The relationship between cervical screening and cervical cancer

Cervical screening is a method used to detect whether there are lesions in the female cervix. It is extremely important for the early detection, diagnosis and prevention of cervical cancer.
Early detection of cervical precancerous lesions

Cervical screening mainly includes cervical cytology (TCT) and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. HPV infection is the main cause of cervical cancer. Most women may be infected with HPV in their lifetime, but most infections are temporary and can be cleared by their own immune system. However, persistent high-risk HPV infection may cause abnormal changes in cervical cells.
Cervical cytology can detect morphological changes in cervical cells, such as atypical squamous cells (ASC-US), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), etc. If these precancerous lesions can be detected by cervical screening at an early stage, timely intervention and treatment can be carried out to prevent the lesions from further developing into cervical cancer. For example, for LSIL patients, doctors may recommend regular follow-up or further evaluation such as colposcopy; for HSIL patients, cervical conization and other treatments are usually required to remove diseased tissue.
Reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer
Through regular cervical screening, cervical cancer can be detected when it is still in the precancerous stage or early cervical cancer stage. The treatment effect of early cervical cancer is much better than that of late cervical cancer.
For carcinoma in situ (the earliest cervical cancer) and stage I cervical cancer, the 5-year survival rate after surgical treatment can reach more than 90%. If cervical cancer develops to the late stage and distant metastasis occurs, the 5-year survival rate will drop significantly. For example, when cervical cancer has distant metastasis to the liver, lungs, etc., the 5-year survival rate may be less than 30%. Therefore, cervical screening can effectively reduce the mortality rate of cervical cancer.

Guide follow-up examinations and treatment decisions
When the cervical screening results are abnormal, further examinations will be arranged according to the specific situation. If the HPV test finds high-risk HPV positive and the TCT test also shows abnormal cells, colposcopy is generally recommended. The colposcopy can magnify the cervix, observe the lesions on the surface of the cervix more clearly, and take tissue from suspicious areas for pathological examination.
The results of pathological examination are the “gold standard” for diagnosing cervical cancer. It can determine whether the lesion is benign or malignant, as well as the specific type and degree of malignant lesions. Based on the pathological results, doctors can develop personalized treatment plans, such as a combination of different treatment methods such as surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.