Cervical cancer, however, can be treated and cured with good success, if diagnosed early.
Therefore participation in regular cancer screening programs is of prime importance. During cytology-based Pap smear screening more than 200,000 women in Germany get an abnormal result, mainly Pap III and Pap IIID, annually. Many of the cellular neoplasias evoking these abnormal Pap smear diagnoses heal, however, spontaneously.
Testing for human papillomaviruses, causative agents oft he cancer, does not yield clarification either: most women infected with HPV clear the infection, even if Pap III or Pap IIID is diagnosed. Surgery of these tissue neoplasias therefore often is not required, especially in the light of adverse effects such as higher risk for perinatal death or preterm birth.