Introduction/Background Carcinoma of the cervix remains to be the second most common malignancy and is the most common cause of cancer-related mortality among Filipino women despite being a preventable disease. Screening can reduce both the incidence and the mortality rate. However, after more than a decade of strong efforts from the national government and different medical organizations in promoting cervical cancer awareness, prevention and screening, we still see a steady rise in the number of newly diagnosed cases every year. Most of these newly diagnosed cases are in advanced stage. This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of the screening methods used in the country.

Methodology This was a prospective cross-sectional study done in a tertiary hospital. 249 patients were included in this study. Diagnostic accuracy of Papanicolau smear (Papsmear), liquid based cytology (LBC) and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) was compared, and results were confirmed by biopsy.

Results Among the three screening methods, LBC (65%) had the highest probability to detect a premalignant or malignant cervical lesion, followed by VIA (60.5%). Papsmear (10%) which is commonly used by majority had the lowest probability in detecting premalignant or malignant lesions.

Conclusion This study has shown that LBC is the best screening method for cervical cancer compared to VIA and papsmear. VIA is an adequate and acceptable screening method for cervical cancer. Furthermore, in low-resource areas, VIA is a better screening method than papsmear for its ease of use and lower cost. In areas where LBC is not available, it is highly recommended to do papsmear in conjunction with VIA.

Disclosure Nothing to disclose