The 2001 Bethesda system for reporting Pap smear results ( abridged )

EMARKABLE ADVANCES in technology and in understanding of the development of cervical cancer have opened a new era in cervical cancer screening. In the past few years: • The traditional technique of smearing cervical cells on a glass slide for the Papanicolaou (Pap) test has been largely replaced by a liquid-collection technique • A major trial sponsored by the National Cancer Institute provided long-awaited data validating the utility of testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) in women with abnormal Pap smears • An expert group of clinicians, pathologists, and researchers revised the Bethesda system terminology used for reporting results of cervical cytology screening • New guidelines for managing women with abnormal Pap smears have been published that are based on the trial data and the new reporting system. This article briefly summarizes the new liquid-collection system for thin-layer slide preparation, the new Hybrid Capture 2 HPV DNA test, the 2001 Bethesda reporting system, data from a key trial, and the new management guidelines.