New recommendation guidelines for cervical cancer screening were published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). These guidelines are an update to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2012 recommendations on cervical cancer screening. The new screening guidelines now offer women more options and longer screening intervals when it comes to their preventative care. One of the most notable guideline changes is that women aged 30-65 can now get an HPV test alone every 5 years instead of just a Pap smear alone every 3 years, or in combination with a Pap smear every 5 years.
According to the guidelines:
- Women aged 21-29 years should get a Pap smear every 3 years
- Women aged 30-65 years can get:
- A Pap smear alone every 3 years
- An HPV test alone every 5 years
- A combination of a Pap smear and HPV test every 5 years
The USPSTF does not recommend screening for women younger than 21 years as well as women older than 65 years who have received adequate screening before and are not at high-risk for cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer was once a major cause of death among women. However, with the advent of screening tests, such as Pap smears, cervical cancer rates have fallen considerably over the years. Still, the American Cancer Society estimates 13,240 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2018.
Almost all cervical cancers are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted infection. There are many types of HPV, some low-risk and some high-risk. Low-risk HPV types can cause warts that can be treated. High-risk types, however, can cause cancer. While the body can often fight off HPV infection, this is not always the case. Some HPV infections can become chronic, and chronic infections with high-risk HPV types can lead to cancer in both men and women if left untreated. However, there are vaccines that can prevent cancers, like cervical cancer in women, caused by HPV. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that all children get vaccinated against HPV at age 11 or 12. For young women in particular, the CDC recommends they get vaccinated through age 26.
Because it can take years for cancer caused by HPV to develop and for symptoms to appear, the CDC encourages women to regularly screen for cervical cancer. This includes both women who have and have not vaccinated against HPV, as the HPV vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that can cause cancer.
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