I. Introduction
Cervical cytology (conventional Pap smear or liquid-based cytology) [1], the most popular screening test for prevention and early detection of cervical cancer, has been widely used in developed countries and has significantly reduced its incidence and number of deaths [2] . However, population-wide screening is still unavailable in underdeveloped countries [2], partly due to the complexity and tedious nature of manually screening abnormal cells from a cervical cytology specimen [3]. While automation-assisted reading techniques can boost efficiency, their current performance is not adequate for inclusion in primary cervical screening [4].