Introduction

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumours among women worldwide. Cytology remains the simplest and cheapest method for detecting this cancer. Due to the very low participation of women in cytological screening, the disease is often diagnosed at an advanced stage.

Aim of the research

The aim of the study has been to estimate how the COVID-19 pandemic and related public life restrictions affected cervical cancer screening during the period from March 2018 to February 2024.

Material and methods

The research sample consisted of cytological test results. An analysis was conducted on patient attendance for cytological screening as well as an analysis of positive results during the periods before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated public restrictions negatively impacted the performance of cytological tests only ‘outside the programme’. However, what is particularly noteworthy is that the number of tests performed ‘as part of the prevention programme’ has increased. Despite the decreasing number of tests performed after the pandemic, we observed a higher percentage share of positive diagnoses (period VI: 2.24%). LSIL diagnoses are starting to prevail, which carries the risk of the development of higher-grade lesions over time.

Conclusions

The pandemic determines the risk of the occurrence of high-grade intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer. It is necessary to implement changes in cytological screening as soon as possible to increase the rate of cytology tests, not only during such a challenging time as the pandemic but also beyond it.