Dr. Peter Johnson is a gynecologic surgeon with Aurora BayCare Medical Center.
He joined us on Wisconsin Tonight. He said, a Pap test helps screen for cervical cancer. It is used to look for cervical and/or vaginal cells that are cancerous or precancerous. The Pap test also can be used to detect vaginal or uterine infections. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends the following:
* Screening with Pap tests should begin no earlier than age 21
* Women between the ages of 21 and 30 should have a Pap test every 3 years
* Women between the ages of 30 and 65 should have both a Pap test and an HPV test every 5 years (preferable); a Pap test alone every 3 years is acceptable
* After age 65, no screening is necessary if women have had adequate prior screening and no history of cervical cancer
Because a Pap test can find early signs of cervical cancer, thereby saving lives. The chance of successfully treating cervical cancer is especially high if it’s caught early. Getting a Pap test is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk for cervical or gynecologic cancer. Other actions include:
* Abstaining from sex or limiting your sexual partners to decrease your exposure to HPV, the virus that can lead to cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer
* Using a condom during sex to reduce your exposure to HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases
* Quitting smoking because smoking can interact with an HPV infection and accelerate cancer development
* Getting vaccinated against HPV
* Considering genetic counseling, which can provide hereditary cancer testing for women with a significant family history of cancer
Some experts have rethought the frequency of administering Pap tests. When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and other experts made recommendations advising women to undergo Pap screening less often, the goal was to test women often enough to catch early warning signs of cervical cancer, but not so frequently that women are subjected to unnecessary and invasive tests. So, yes, Pap exams are still needed, just not as frequently as once thought.
Most experts agree that once every three years is adequate for women with normal results. And for patients, when educated about the recommendations, most of them seem to welcome the updated Pap guidelines, especially when told that they are evidence-based, offer outcomes that are as good as or better than current screening recommendations and when information is shared about the potential harm of false positive tests.
For more information, visit BayCare.net or call 844-260-3002.
