Introduction: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity among women with nearly four lakh new cases diagnosed annually worldwide, of which 80 % cases are in developing nations. Cervical Pap smear is a sensitive test for early screening of cervical lesions. Materials and Methods: A two year retrospective study of pap smears was conducted in the Department of Pathology from December 2013 – December 2015. A total of 5,464 pap smears were studied from patients in the age group of 17 ­80 years. Conventional pap smears were prepared according to standard procedures and were reported according to 2014 Bethesda system. Result: Out of 5,464 patients screened, 5,158(94.39 %) cases were benign, 157 (2.87%) were pre­malignant, 8 (0.14%) were malignant and 141 (2.58%) were unsatisfactory. The pre­malignant lesions were highest between 41­50 years and malignant cases between 51­60 years. Conclusion: Pap smear screening for cervical cancer is a highly effective tool for early detection of cervical premalignant lesions to prevent their progression to overt malignancy. Pap smear screening must be made mandatory after 30 years of age.

Keywords: Pap Smear; Screening; Intraepithelial Malignant Lesions.