From Papanicolaou to Papillomaviruses: Evolving Challenges in Cervical Cancer Screening in the Era of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

Abstract

February 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the death of George Papanicolaou, the inventor of the Pap test for cervical cancer screening. Pap test screening has contributed to sharp reductions in cervical cancer incidence and mortality throughout the developed world (1–5). Despite the success of the Pap test, recognition that it suffers from inadequate single-test sensitivity and frequent equivocal results has prompted searches for newer screening methods.