Cervical cancer screening in Hungary – epidemiological, historical and methodological aspects
The issue of cervical cancer has been raised again recently, as opposed to other states of the European Union our country shows a high incidence and mortality rate of cervical carcinoma. Although in the 21st century not a single woman should die of cervical cancer, cervical cancer claims the lives of approximately 500 women in Hungary annually until this day. The most typical point of development is where the columnar epithelium of the cervical canal and the squamous epithelium of the uterine cervix meet, the so called transformation zone (squamocolumnar junction). The disease is a several year long process of squamous epithelium metaplasia. This is what provides the opportunity for screening, as by recognizing the lesion in a precancerous state, treatment is possible prior to the development of a tumor. Authors review some epidemiological, historical and methodological issues related to cervical cancer screening. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 2063–2066.