Missed opportunities for early diagnosis of cancer of the cervix.

In a low-income community, 52% of new invasive cancer of the cervix arose in women who had no previous Pap smear, while 62% arose in women with no smear within five years. In the previous five years, 73% of the unscreened women had received ambulatory medical care (including 41% who had regular care for chronic conditions), while 16% were hospitalized. Much of the unscreened low-income population could be reached by routine screening in regular ambulatory health services and hospitals.