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Translational approaches to improving cervical screening

Nature Reviews Cancer volume 3, pages 217–226 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

Screening programmes for cervical cancer using the current test — the Pap smear — have markedly reduced the incidence of the disease. However, an individual Pap test is of limited sensitivity and is difficult and expensive to perform. Increased understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of cervical cancer indicates that new approaches to screening might offer increased accuracy, affordability and the potential for automation. Such approaches exemplify how improved understanding of the biology of neoplasia might be translated into clinical benefit.

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Figure 1: Pre-malignant disease in cervical squamous epithelium and rationale for the cervical smear.
Figure 2: A simplified diagram illustrating cell-cycle functions of candidate biomarkers of cervical neoplasia.
Figure 3: Expression of minichromosome maintenance proteins in cervical tissue and smears.

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Acknowledgements

We apologise to colleagues whose work we were unable to cite due to space constraints. We thank the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for providing the picture of George N. Papanicolaou. P. B. is funded by Addenbrooke's Charities. N. C. and R. L. are supported by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK.

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  1. MRC Cancer Cell Unit, Hutchison/MRC Research Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2XZ, UK

    Peter Baldwin, Ronald Laskey & Nicholas Coleman

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  1. Peter Baldwin
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Correspondence to Nicholas Coleman.

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DATABASES

Cancer.gov

cervical cancer

LocusLink

cyclin E

DNA polymerase-δ

DNA polymerase-ε

INK4A

Ki-67

KIP1

MCM2

MCM3

MCM4

MCM5

MCM6

MCM7

MN antigen

p107

p130

PCNA

RB

TERT

WAF1

FURTHER INFORMATION

American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology

British Society for Clinical Cytology

Cancer Mondial

National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results

NHS Cervical Screening Programme

Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology

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Baldwin, P., Laskey, R. & Coleman, N. Translational approaches to improving cervical screening. Nat Rev Cancer 3, 217–226 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc1010

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