Adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: cytological evidence of a long preclinical evolution

Adenocarcinoma of the cervix occurred in 13 women who had previously had "negative" cervical smears. These smears were reviewed, and abnormalities were found in six cases, the intervals ranging from two to eight years. It is concluded that adenocarcinoma, like squamous carcinoma of the cervix, can have a prolonged evolution during which it is cytologically detectable.