Materials and methods: We report the contribution of the cytology test for screening for cervix cancer in Gabon observed in a retrospective study over 19 years (1977-1995). Data from the Libreville Faculty of Medicine cytohistopathology laboratory were used.
Results: Over the 19-year period, 10,838 PAP smears were performed, an average of 570,42 smears per year. Sixty-eight cases of cervix cancer were diagnosed with this test: 40 invasive carcinomas (58.83%), 5 microinvasive carcinomas (7.35%), and 23 in situ carcinomas (33.82%). During the same period, 437 cervix cancers were reported in the same laboratory without prior cytology test.
Conclusion: In Gabon, cervix cancer is usually diagnosed at an invasive stage, hence the need for systematic detection.