In Brief

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After Treatment, Women Remain at Higher Risk for Cervical Cancer

Women diagnosed with and treated for a precursor to cervical cancer called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) remain at above-average risk for developing invasive cervical cancer for two decades following treatment, according to a study in the November 19 issue of the British Medical Journal . The findings contrast with past studies that found that cervical cancer risk is not increased in the 8 years following CIN treatment.

Eero Pukkala, Ph.D., at the Helsinki University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, and colleagues identified 7,564 women who had been treated for CIN between 1974 and 2001. They identified 22 new cases of invasive cervical cancer among the women, 2.8 times the rate observed in the general population.

Although women who have undergone treatment for CIN remain at above-average risk of developing cervical cancer for 20 years, with risk increasing during the second decade, scientists still say current treatment works effectively. The authors suggest that women with mild or moderate cases of CIN remain at greatest risk because patients don't get follow-up screenings as regularly as women with severe CIN.