text: women only please? when we have pap smears, does that detect cancer down there also, what all does it detect? thanks $%$%$%   papanicolaou smear, cervical smear, cervical/vaginal cytology detects only abnormal cells that are indicators for dysplasia (dysplasia is the term used for cells that have changed and grown or developed abnormally. typically it means that the cells are at increased risk for developing into cancer) to cancer.   dysplasia can occur for a number of reasons other than cancer.