Author/Editor		Eržen, Mojca; Branca, Margherita; Syrjaenen, Kari; Coleman, Dulcie V
Title		The PAP test procedure, quality assurance and continuous quality improvement in laboratories participating in cervical cancer screening. Presentation of the items produced by Leonardo da Vinci 2000 project of European union
Type		članek
Source		In: Eržen M, editor. Book of proceedings Training of cytotechnologists and cytopathologists in cervical cancer screening in the 21st century: new approaches to vocational training and continuing professional education; 2003 Mar 14; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Slovenian society of gynecological oncology, colposcopy and cervical pathology,
Publication year		2003
Volume		str. 1-18
Language		eng
Abstract		Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Cancer Registry data indicate that about 470,000 new cases occur each year worldwide and 233.000 women die of cervical cancer every year. The incidence varies from country to country, the highest incidence being recorded in the developing countries. In Slovenia the incidence in 1999 was 19,9/105. This high number is in accordance with a low attendance of women to come to PAP test. Less than 50% of women have the PAP test taken every 3 years. These alarming figures should increase the general public awareness of the disease and its potential for prevention should be among the key issues in the global control of cervical cancer in the country. The PAP test permits detection of these precancerous lesions which can readily be removed thereby preventing progression to invasive cancer. In order to be effective, all phases of the PAP test must be carried out correctly. To help cytologists and smear takers to achieve this goal the booklets THE PAP TEST PROCEDURE and QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT IN LABORATORIES WHICH UNDERTAKE CERVICAL CYTOLOGY were produced and published in many languages (by now in Italian, English, Polish, Slovene, Portuguese, Spanish, Finnish), funded by EU Community Action Programme Leonardo da Vinci - the CYTOTRAIN PROJECT 2000. This programme was established in the EU, to harmonise training and quality standards in cervical screening. To realize this, the project took the following activities: 1) preparation of training handbooks, guidelines and instruction manuals, 2) preparation of test sets and self training programmes using conventional images on CD-ROM, 3) preparation of equivalent terminology for reporting cervical smears, 4) organising training courses. (Abstract truncated at 2000 characters).
Descriptors		CERVIX NEOPLASMS VAGINAL SMEARS QUALITY ASSURANCE, HEALTH CARE PAPILLOMAVIRUS, HUMAN CYTODIAGNOSIS CYTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES EDUCATION, MEDICAL, CONTINUING EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY