You may know it more fondly as Pap – like Pap test or Pap smear. Okay, so maybe “fondly” is not the first word that comes to mind when thinking about stirrups, speculums, and cervical scrapings. Unless maybe it has saved your own or a loved one’s life. If so, you have largely one man to thank. That’s right – Dr. Papanicolaou.
Dr. George Nicholas Papanicolaou spent his entire medical career studying uterine* cytology, or cell-structure and processes, of both animals and women. He developed one of the greatest cancer screening methods of all time upon realizing a simple uterine fluid smear (e.g. take some fluid and smear it on a microscope slide) viewed under the microscope reveals cancerous and pre-cancerous cells. According to the American Cancer Society, most of the 67% reduction in cervical cancer incidence and mortality over the last thirty years is directly attributed to Dr. Papanicolaou’s discovery. [cue the female Hallelujah! Choir]
"Anatomy:The Cervix and Nearby Organs" by Don Bliss (NCI Visuals Online)
Unfortunately, more than 12,000 women were newly diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. Well, that would mean, Ladies, you’d actually have to get your Pap test to receive its awesome benefits. January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and I’m devoting Nursetopia to cervical cancer awareness and education the entire week. Until tomorrow, thank you, Dr. Papanicolaou. Thank you!
For my non-healthcare professional friends who may be wondering why I keep saying uterine or uterus rather than cervical or cervix: the cervix is part of the uterus and separates the vagina and the larger part of the uterus commonly referred to as the womb.
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