Colposcopy

Cervical cancer was diagnosed in 527,500 people globally in 2012, and 265,500 people died from it, making it the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth greatest cause of cancer mortality among women. It is the second most frequent cancer in developing countries and the third leading cause of mortality after breast and lung cancers. In high-income nations with good cervical cancer screening systems, however, the incidence of cervical cancer has dropped by >82 percent during the last 40 years. This decline can be linked to the widespread use of Pap cytology and colposcopy to diagnose and treat premalignant cervical lesions. Cervical cancer was the seventh most prevalent cancer among women in the Republic of Korea in 2014, with 3,550 women diagnosed, representing an annual percent change of -3.8 percent in cervical cancer occurrence since 2000. When abnormal Pap test results are discovered, cervical conization was routinely performed in the past, but in recent years, the focus has shifted to choosing the best treatment option based on the biopsy findings via colposcopy. Cervical conization has become less indiscriminate as a result of this.

What is a Colposcopy?

Colposcopy is a practice in which the cervix, vagina, and vulva are examined using a lit, magnifying device called a colposcope. Colposcopy was first described as a cervical cancer screening method by Hans Hinselmen of Germany in the1920s. It is a diagnostic procedure used to assess women who have had an abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) test, women who have had a visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), women who have tested positive for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA, or women who have a suspicious-looking cervix even if the PAP test is normal. It's also used to monitor intraepithelial and invasive carcinoma patients after treatment.