The Pap Smear and Cervical Cancer

Pathology cervical cancer can develop from one of the two types of cells that line the outside of the cervix: squamous and columnar epithelial cells. Most cases result from cancers of the squamous layer, which are referred to as squamous cell carcinomas; the remaining types come from the columnar cells and are called adenocarcinomas. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are associated with the human papilloma virus (HPV).