The costs of carcinoma of the cervix

Costs of cytology screening for carcinoma of the cervix are analyzed and the expenses of medical care compared in three theoretic populations: a) unscreened, b) screened for the first time and c) an ideal population screened repeatedly in the past. Cost estimates include diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with positive reports and take into account the natural history of the disease. It is suggested that once all prevalent disease has been identified and treated, a reduced schedule in which patients are screened every third year is medically acceptable. Under these conditions, medical costs of carcinoma of the cervix become less than those in an unscreened population and there are no deaths from the disease.