Witness History
Witness History
How the smear test was invented
Up next
July 7, 2022
10 minutes
Available for over a year
In 1928 Dr George Papanicoloau, a Greek immigrant living in New York, discovered he could detect pre-cancerous cell changes in the cervix. This led to the development of the smear test which has meant millions of women worldwide have not had to face cancer.
Dr Papanicoloau's great niece Olga Stamatiou speaks to Laura Jones.
(Image shows Dr Papanicoloau examining a slide in a laboratory. Credit: Getty Images)