Table 5. Timeliness of abnormal (‘>BMD’ or ‘BMD’) and normal smear preceding cervical cancer. All smear types (smear and work-up smears).
| Cytology | Total, n (%) | Not delayed, n (%) | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| >BMDa | 142 (100) | 88 (62.0) | 53.5–70.0 |
| BMDb | 46 (100) | 26 (56.5) | 41.1–71.1 |
| Total | 188c (100) | 114 (60.6) | 53.3–67.7 |
Abbreviations: BMD=borderline/mild dyskaryosis; CI=confidence interval.
Maximum time interval between the first abnormal smear and histologically confirmed CxCa was 6 months (a longer time interval was considered as delay in the diagnosis).
Maximum time interval between the first abnormal smear and histologically confirmed CxCa was 24 months (a longer time interval was considered as delay in the diagnosis).
In total, 73 out of 286 women had no smear at all preceding the diagnosis, thus leaving 213 cases with a smear. A total of 25 out of these 213 women had only normal cytology (n=23) or information on time was lacking (n=2), leaving 188 cases to analyse. This group consisted of >BMD or BMD as follows: in the screen period 15 and 21 women had >BMD and BMD, respectively (Table 3). In the work-up period group, 75 and 11 women had >BMD and BMD, respectively. Furthermore, 41 and 9 women who had a normal smear result in the screen period had >BMD and BMD, respectively, as work-up smear. Finally, for women who had a normal smear result in the underscreened period (n=12), 10 women had >BMD as work-up smear (The remaining two woman had normal smear result again). Another one and five women had already >BMD and BMD, respectively, in the underscreened period (Table 3). This results in a total of 142 >BMD and 46 BMD women (total n=188).