Cytologic screening for gynecologic cancer.

In the past 30 years there has been no improvement in the five-year survival rate for endometrial carcinoma. Any change comparable to improved survival in cervical carcinoma will be accomplished only by similar detection of the early asymptomatic and precursor lesions of endometrial carcinoma. Reasons why the conventional Pap smear taken today has only a 25% to 50% screening accuracy for endometrial carcinoma are explained along with methods to improve these percentages.