[Campaign for cervical cancer screening with vaginal smears in women aged 50-69 years in Isère (France). Results of the first round (January 1991-June 1993)].

The department of Isère, which is involved since 1990 in a breast cancer screening campaign concerning women aged 50 to 69, has managed to associate a cervical and colorectal cancers screening program. The target sample size is 98,000 individuals. Women are asked to refer their general practitioner or gynaecologist for cervicovaginal smears. Each woman is invited at a screening interval of 30 months. The results of the first invitation (November 1990-December 1992) are reported. Thus 29,570 women did referred, so that the screening uptake is 30% and 20,083 women (68%) had Pap smears inside the screening program. 1.1% of the smears were unsatisfactory and 1.2% of the tests showed abnormalities. Ninety-six percent of the women who had been referred for further examinations have been followed up. Thirty-eight women (representing 17% of smears with abnormalities) had surgery (conisation, hysterectomy, Wertheim). Among them, 5 cases of invasive cervical carcinoma and 25 in situ carcinoma were detected. The detected cancer prevalence per 1,000 women screened is 1.5/1000. An organised screening program for cervical cancer in association with breast cancer screening, seems to be an effective way of increasing smears realisation in women aged 50 to 69, and of involving general practitioners in cervical cancer screening.