Woman had smear test every day to help its discovery

Dr George Papanicolaou was the inventor of the Pap smear test which can detect early cancerous cells in the cervix and has saved millions of women’s lives.

But it took a long time for the medical community to accept his research.

Dr Pap was helped by his wife who, as well as providing emotional support, took a smear test every day for 20 years to provide him with more evidence.

Witness History spoke to the couple’s great-niece, Olga Stamatiou.