Cryotherapy and laser treatment for intraepithelial neoplasia of the cervix, vagina, and vulva.

Over the past 20 years, the incidence of invasive genital neoplasia has decreased, while the incidence of preinvasive, or intraepithelial, neoplasia has increased. These trends are the result of increased cancer screening women and the widespread application of improved diagnostic techniques by physicians. The rapid increase in genital human papillomavirus infections over the past 10 years may also be a factor influencing the increased incidence of intraepithelial neoplasia. The average age at diagnosis of genital intraepithelial neoplasia has decreased, thereby heightening the need for more conservative treatment options. The application of cryosurgical techniques during the 1970s and the introduction of lasers in the 1980s have fulfilled this need for less mutilative, organ-preserving treatment.