It has nothing to do with a pope. The name of this gynecological exam comes from the doctor of Greek origin who created it: Georgios Papanicolau. The test detects cervical (cervical) cancer – the third most common among women – but also searches for other cancers, such as lung cancer. In the office, the gynecologist uses the speculum to open the patient’s vaginal walls and perform a visual inspection. Then scrape with a wooden spatula and brush to remove cells from the cervix. They are placed on a glass slide and sent to the laboratory. “This exam is the best example of cancer prevention and should be done periodically by all women who have already started sexual activity”, says gynecologist Luis Gerk de Azevedo Quadros, from São Paulo.
Attention women!
According to the National Cancer Institute (Inca), the exam should be done annually the first two times and then every three years.
Sources: Websites of the Ministry of Health and the National Cancer Institute (Inca)
Consultancy: Luis Gerk de Azevedo Quadros, gynecologist