Screening hospital patients for uterine cervical cancer.

Women patients admitted to a district general hospital with non-gynaecological conditions were offered a cervical smear test. In three years 2296 women were tested. Serious uterine pathology was detected in 13 patients (5.7 per 1000) and significant cytological abnormalities (dyskaryosis of all grades) in 46 (20.0 per 1000). Of the women screened 963 (41.9%) had never had a smear test before and 1608 (70.0%) were over 39 yr. The results show that cervical screening of non-gynaecological patients in hospital reaches many of the women at risk for cervical cancer who do not otherwise have smears taken and reveals considerable uterine pathology.