A new set of guidelines from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) aim to make cervical cancer screening more convenient and less stressful for American women. The changes, recommended for women aged 30 to 65, suggest that high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) should be tested every five years instead of getting a Pap smear every three years.
The USPSTF’s new guidelines will prioritize HPV testing over Pap smears, but still recommend Pap smears or combination tests if the standard HPV test isn’t available. The shift is based on evidence that high-risk HPV infections are the leading cause of cervical cancer and that HPV testing can detect the disease early.
According to Task Force Vice Chair John Wong, “The latest science shows that screening for cervical cancer with an HPV test is the optimal approach for women who are 30 to 65 years old.” The new guidelines also take into account that self-collected HPV tests are valid for screening and have been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
These changes are expected to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in the US, as well as globally, thanks to the expansion of screening and vaccines. Despite this progress, cervical cancer remains the fourth-most common cancer in women worldwide.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/major-shift-in-cervical-cancer-screening-what-the-proposed-guidelines-mean-for-women-2000536636