Risk-adapted multimodal laboratory cervical screening - Pap test of the future?

The objective of screening for cervical cancer is to reduce mortality and incidence of the disease. To date there is extensive and strong evidence that this can be achieved by cytology-based screening programs, which continue to be the mainstay of cervical prevention worldwide despite their inherent methodological limitations. This article presents a review on the utility of conventional, ancillary and experimental methods for cervical screening both as single tests and test combinations, and describes possible future directions for enhanced screening accuracy using risk-adapted protocols.