Use of visual screening methods for cervical cancer screening

This article considers recent advances in visual screening methods. Devices that use electro-optical sensors offer great potential in various clinical roles, but considerable additional work is required to develop these devices and it is unlikely that they will come into widespread clinical use in the next 5 years. Considerable data demonstrate that simple visual screening methods have a sensitivity for the detection of women with biopsy-confirmed high-grade SIL (CIN 2,3) and cancer that is equivalent to that of conventional cervical cytology. Currently numerous studies are evaluating the best strategies for incorporating visual screening methods into cervical cancer screening programs. In the near future we should be able to determine whether these approaches should be incorporated into routine clinical care.