Other tests -- such as a Pap smear for cervical cancer or a lymph node biopsy for lymphoma -- are also safe.

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But only one in a thousand of those in fact have a malignancy and are destined to die from it. (Most of the 4, 000 deaths per year from cervical cancer are in women who either never had a Pap smear or missed having one in the five years before a cancer diagnosis.) Over their lifetimes, 40% of women get a false alarm Pap.

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In another example a lady developed cervical cancer after failing to attend appointments for smear tests over a nine-year period, despite regular reminders from the practice.

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Even a casual reader of newspapers must be aware that there is considerable debate about when and how often people should get mammograms, Pap smear tests, PSA tests, and other cancer screenings.

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Professor Kimler said the test was similar to the Pap smear, which is used to detect the early signs of cervical cancer.

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