Cancer of the cervix: a 20 year follow up.

Twenty-nine cases of carcinoma in situ of the cervix were detected during less than ten years of private family practice, using routine Pap smears as a case finding technique. In 20 years' follow up of those patients, one patient developed recurrent invasive cancer and died. These results are in keeping with others from the recent literature. These patients should be followed closely because there is significant mortality from recurrence of carcinoma. The family physician is in an excellent position for case finding and early diagnosis because of the long natural history of cancer of the cervix. This approach, coupled with appropriate follow up, can prevent much human suffering.