The benefits of routine screenings for several conditions have faced increased scrutiny as of late. Last Wednesday, both the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the consortium of medical groups led by the American Cancer Society agreed that many women can go up to five years between screenings for cervical cancer, a huge departure from the annual Pap test schedule women have traditionally followed, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the new guidelines released by the groups, most women should wait until they turn 21, and get tested every three years thereafter if their results are normal. However, women ages 30 to 65 who test negative for both a Pap smear and HPV test at the same time can go five years between screenings, Dr. Michael LeFevre, co-vice chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, told the newspaper.
According to a National Public Radio article, this is the first time that co-testing has been formally recommended as an alternative to Pap smears alone, and the first time the American Cancer Society has recommended against annual screening for cervical cancer.
The new recommendation, combined with new guidelines urging less frequent screening for breast cancer, declining use of menopause hormones and higher prevalence of long-term birth-control methods may give some women less incentive to schedule regular appointments with their gynecologists, noted New York Times health blogger Tara Parker-Pope in a recent post.
Though it remains to be seen, however, some speculate that without having to go through a Pap test as often, some women will be more likely to schedule annual visits with their gynecologists to discuss nonreproductive issues such as smoking, weight gain, high blood pressure and depression.
To learn more:
- read the article from the New York Times
- see the story from the Los Angeles Times
- check out the story from National Public Radio
- read the guidelines published in the Annals of Internal Medicine
- see the guidelines from a Cancer Journal for Clinicians