The American Cancer Society announced Thursday that most women over 30 can forgo the annual Pap test for cervical cancer, and instead safely have the check only every two to three years. Cervical cancer grows so slowly that women have plenty of time to be tested and have any preventive treatment, the organization advised. The new guidelines say testing every two to three years is usually sufficient for women older than 30 who have had several normal tests. "A doctor may suggest getting the test more often if a woman has certain risk factors such as [HIV] infection or a weakened immune system. Women 70 years of age and older who have had three or more normal Pap test results and no abnormal results in the last 10 years may choose to stop cervical cancer screening," the society said in a statement. Cervical cancer is usually caused by the sexually transmitted human wart virus; a new test for the virus, if approved by the Food and Drug Administration, may be added to the guidelines.

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