OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to estimate Irish specific costs for managing abnormal cervical conditions which are required for cost-effectiveness analysis of prophylactic cervical cancer vaccination in Ireland. METHODS: This was a retrospective study that collected resource utilisation and clinical outcome data on 395 women attending four colposcopy clinics in Ireland. Sampling was stratified to include 10%, 35%, 25%, 25%, and 5% of women in the borderline, mild, moderate, severe and cancer cytology groups respectively. Data were collected from the date of referral until the latest treatment or the patient returned to ‘normal' cytology. Unit cost data, also collected during the study, were applied to the utilisation data to estimate costs. RESULTS: The mean age of all women with abnormal smears was 31 years (range 18-68). The mean age of women with cancer was 48 (range 23-68). The average cost of treating women who initially had an abnormal smear but were subsequently observed to be histologically negative without receiving treatment was €317 (SD €147). The corresponding costs for women with CIN1, CIN2 and CIN3 were €522 (SD €255), €673 (SD €237), and €689 (SD €227) respectively. The average cost of treating invasive cervical cancer was approximately €10,000 (SD €4,881). The total cost of managing abnormal cervical conditions was estimated at around €10 million per annum. CONCLUSION: Managing abnormal cervical conditions is expensive. Analysis in other countries found that prophylactic cervical cancer vaccination is a cost effective way to reduce these abnormalities(1). This study will be used in a cost effectiveness analysis of prophylactic cervical cancer vaccination in Ireland. 1 Goldie SJ et al.J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:604-15.