Explaining origin of ‘pap smears’

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently discussed Pap smears. What is the root meaning of the term? Is it a medical test invented by a Dr. Pap, or an acronym for some long and complex medical term, or a smear taken from a woman’s “pap”?

ANSWER: “Pap” is for Dr. George Papanicolaou, a Greek-born physician/ scientist who worked at Cornell University and the New York Hospital from 1913 to 1961 (I pass his bronze bust every day when I walk into the hospital). He showed in 1928 that cancer of the cervix can be diagnosed early by looking at a sample of cells taken with a swab or brush from the woman’s cervix and smeared on a slide.

He had been evaluating the change in the cells at different times of the menstrual cycle, based on the hormone activity. One of his subjects happened to be diagnosed with cervical cancer a few weeks after he obtained the smear, and he was able to subsequently identify the cancer from the cells on the slide. Since then, many women have been able to be treated early, or even before cancer has developed, and his test has extended the length and quality of the lives of millions of women.

History also owes a debt to Dr. Papanicolaou’s wife, Mary. She not only managed his laboratory and household, but she also had sampling of her cervical cells (now called a Pap smear) done every day for 21 years, allowing her husband to clearly see the changes that happen over time.

DEAR DR. ROACH: You recently wrote about some of the benefits and risks of yoga. Would you suggest yoga to someone diagnosed with hypermobility? I’d like to try, but I worry about creating more problems. How do I know if an instructor has enough relevant experience to protect my joints?

ANSWER: Joint hypermobility syndrome is a hereditary disorder of connective tissue seen in as much as 10 to 20 percent of the population, to some degree. It is related to Marfan syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but unlike those other conditions, the exact mechanism is not understood.

About 60 per cent of people with JHS have chronic pain; 90 per cent have chronic fatigue; and 15 to 20 per cent have anxiety.

Some authorities recommend against yoga, as stretching can damage joints, and many people with JHS do not realize that they may be injuring themselves due to abnormalities in pain processing. However, I think that with proper precautions, yoga may still be a valuable treatment to improve strength and stability — both important parts of treating this disease.

Some other activities you could try include tai chi, a form of movement that is particularly recommended for people with JHS. Another is Pilates exercise, which was shown in one survey of JHS patients to be one of the most effective treatments for the symptoms of this common but often undiagnosed condition.

Send questions to ToYourGoodHealth@ med.cornell.edu.