The Trend of Abnormal Cervical Cytology Among Iranian Women During Recent Years from 2013 to 2016

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the common cancers in developing countries, which has a high rate of mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology among Iranian women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, cervical cytological results of 137,484 Iranian women, who were screened for cervical cancer in Tehran and 12 other provinces of Iran from 2013 to 2016, were investigated. The Pap smear was prepared by a liquid-based method and evaluated by a pathologist. Results: The overall prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology in the studied population was 3%. The mean age of the population was 35.77 ± 9.6. In this study, the prevalence of abnormal cytology in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 was 2.10%, 2.68%, 3.47%, and 3.60%, respectively. The rate of the abnormal Pap smear has increased over the years, and this trend has been statistically significant (P<0.001). In this population, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) cytology was the most common abnormal Pap smear (1.96%). Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology has been significantly increased in Iran in recent years. This increase requires careful monitoring of general education programs, strict cervical cancer screening, and routine vaccination against HPV infection.