Lack of adherence to practice guidelines for women with atypical glandular cells on cervical cytology

OBJECTIVE: We sought to estimate the rates and types of evaluation in women with atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGC-US) on cervical cytology and to assess these findings on the basis of published management guidelines. METHODS: The rates of histologic sampling, comprehensive initial evaluations, and secondary evaluations were assessed in 477 women with an AGC-US Pap test from 1998 to 2001. A comprehensive evaluation was defined as a colposcopy and an endocervical curettage with or without a cervical biopsy. For women aged 35 or older, a comprehensive evaluation also included an endometrial biopsy. A secondary evaluation consisted of a diagnostic cone biopsy. RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of women with an AGC-US Pap test had histologic sampling; 36% were followed by repeat Pap test only. Thirty-six percent of women with an AGC-US Pap test had a comprehensive evaluation. Women with an AGC-US Pap test that was subclassified as malignant-appearing had higher rates of histologic and comprehensive evaluations than women with a benign-appearing or unspecified AGC-US Pap test (P < .01). Twenty-eight percent of women aged 35 or older had comprehensive evaluations compared with 57% of women younger than the age of 35 (P < .01). Secondary evaluations were performed in 8% of women with persistent AGC-US Pap tests and 2% of women with malignant-appearing AGC-US Pap tests after negative initial histologic evaluations. Twelve of the 42 cases of disease (29%) were diagnosed more than 1 year from the initial AGC-US Pap test. CONCLUSION: On the basis of accepted management guidelines, these data suggest that women with AGC-US Pap tests are under-managed in both their initial and secondary evaluations.