Cytopathology

The European guidelines for quality assurance in cervical cancer screening and the NHS Cervical Screening Programme (NHS CSP) recommend audit of all aspects of screening histories of women who develop invasive cervical cancer; the NHS CSP takes this further by recommending that patients should be offered an opportunity to discuss the findings. The article chosen as Editor’s choice for free access during April and May is by Sherman et al., and examines the psychological issues resulting from such discussions drawing parallels with other situations that involve the delivery of bad news. The authors conclude that negative emotions generated can give way to more positive feelings of increased trust and reassurance. The accompanying editorial considers ‘disclosure’ from the point of view of laboratory staff presenting the findings of such audits.

Editor's Choice
The invasive cervical cancer review: psychological issues surrounding disclosure
S.M. Sherman, E. Moss and C.W.E. Redman.
Cytopathology 2013;24(2):77-80.

Related article
Disclosure of cervical cancer audits: how to be honest without making matters worse
A. Herbert.
Cytopathology 2013;24(2): 73-76.

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The British Association for Cytopathology (BAC) was formed in 2011 following the merger of the British Society for Clinical Cytology (BSCC) and the National Association of Cytologists (NAC).

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