Pap Smear Test

The Pap smear is one of the most important diagnostic tests for cervical cancer, the most high-risk cancer among women's cancers.

A Pap smear should not be thought of simply as a standalone test for women's health — it is best understood as a complete part of the gynecological examination itself.

Due to misinformation spread by word of mouth, the Pap smear has often been perceived by women as a painful test.

It is sometimes even confused with a cervical biopsy.

A Pap smear simply consists of a swab sample taken from the cervix during a gynecological exam.

It never causes pain and is not a surgical procedure.

How the Pap Smear Test Is Performed

A Pap smear is never simply a matter of taking a swab sample on its own.

It must always be collected during an examination by a specialist physician, following the necessary evaluation.

Your doctor must observe the condition of the cervix and be sure to include relevant clinical context for the sample that will undergo pathological review.

How a Pap smear sample is collected:

During the gynecological exam, your doctor collects the sample by gently swabbing the cervix with a specially prepared sterile instrument used for this purpose.

Patients do not experience any pain or discomfort during the exam.

Our clinic always follows the latest medical technologies and techniques.

We have adopted the newer liquid-based Pap smear method, which offers several advantages over the traditional classic Pap smear.

So What Is Liquid-Based Cytology (LBC)? What Advantages Does It Offer?

LBC (liquid-based sampling) offers several additional advantages over traditional smear sampling and provides greater test accuracy:

• In the traditional classic smear sample, only the cells that transfer from the collection instrument to the slide reach the lab, whereas with liquid-based cytology (LBC), the brush used for collection is submitted to the lab in its entirety — meaning all collected cells can be examined, virtually eliminating the chance of an insufficient sample.
• Because liquid-based sampling can separate cellular debris — such as blood and other discharge — from the specimen being examined, the chance of an inadequate or inaccurate report is virtually eliminated.

A Pap smear is, by nature, only a pathological examination.

This means it can detect abnormal cells that have already formed. It cannot provide an early warning for a viral risk that has not yet progressed to a pathological change.

This is exactly where advanced diagnostic tests — namely DNA PCR tests — come into play.

At SoftCare Clinic, we perform an "HPV DNA PCR" test alongside every routine Pap smear we collect.

New DNA analysis techniques are becoming increasingly common worldwide, and women in our country deserve access to the best and most advanced healthcare technology available as well.

With such an important tool for early detection and risk assessment available to us, we would never consider it a lower priority.