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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• News Briefs
Pap Test Needed Only Every 2-3 Years Says Cancer GroupNovember 19, 2002 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. 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.
Back to other CDC news for November 19, 2002 This article is part of TheBody.com's archive. Because it contains information that may no longer be accurate, this article should only be considered a historical document. Reuters 11.14.02 This article was provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is a part of the publication CDC HIV/Hepatitis/STD/TB Prevention News Update.
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