Atypical glandular cells on cervical cytology

“How worried should I be?” is what women often ask when told that their screening cervical cytology result is abnormal. Unfortunately, when the result indicates atypical glandular cells (AGC), it is difficult to answer this question with certainty. The study by Wang and colleagues,1 assessing the short and long term risk of cervical cancer after detection of AGC from cervical smear tests in Sweden, provides useful information. The team examined the risk of cervical cancer up to 15 years after a first finding of AGC in a cohort of over three million women. The large sample makes it possible to provide precise estimates of risk following this rare diagnostic category. Glandular pathologies are difficult to diagnose and may be under-ascertained in the short term, making studies with longitudinal assessment and minimal losses to follow-up essential. The fact …