1. New Pap Technologies Pap smear screening under scrutiny since late’80s
Introduced in ’50s
Little change since its introduction
Powerful public health measure
Morbidity and mortality remain high
screening under scrutiny since late’80s
Misdiagnosis –false negatives
Quality Control

2. Sources of False Negatives
Sampling/preparation errors
Cells not collected on collecting device
Collected cells not transferred to slide
Poor preservation
Screening errors
Abnormal cells present or missed
Interpretive errors

3. ThinPrep Pap test/ Liquid based cytology
Pap Smear
Majority of cells not captured
Non-representative transfer of cells
Clumping and overlapping of cells
Obscuring material
ThinPrep
Majority of sample is collected
Randomised representative transfer of cells
Even distribution of cells
Minimises obscuring material

4. ThinPrep processing Samples prepared under laboratory conditions
Automated capacity
Convenient
Reproducible