Health News
by Holly Hosler
In case you missed it in the big news about the recent USPSTF mammography recommendations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has also revised guidelines, specific to when women should get Pap smears.
The ACOG now recommends that women have their first Pap smear (test for the early detection of cervical cancer) at age 21 (rather than 18), regardless of their sexual histories. Also, most women no longer need Pap smears on an annual basis, and most can stop having them after age 65 or 70 if they have had no abnormal results in the past 10 years.
According to the ACOG, Pap smears conducted prior to age 21 have resulted in too many false positives, with women undergoing unnecessary procedures to eliminate abnormal growths in cervical tissue. The ACOG argues that by treating these cervical abnormalities, young women are put at risk for too much treatment, anxiety and infertility. Cancer of the cervix in women under age 21 is rare; odds of contracting it stand at about 1 in a million.
The new guidelines also say that women aged 21 to 29 should have a Pap smear once every two years, and women in their 30s and older should have one every 3 years provided that their last three tests were negative.
?ACOG has developed its guidelines based upon significant evidence based clinical data,? says David L. Zisow, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., gynecologist and associate chief of minimally invasive surgery at Northwest Hospital.
However, before you think you can skip your annual Pap smear this year, talk with your doctor about what is the best course of action for you. Regular Pap smears save lives, and the new guidelines should not be taken as a pass to start being lax about your gynecological health.
?Guidelines are just that - a starting point from which to think about what may be best for the individual patient and should never be substituted for clinical judgment,? explains Dr. Zisow. ?Doctors will still need to exercise good clinical judgment in selecting appropriate patients to screen - or not to screen - in light of each individual?s history and medical circumstances.?
- E. Ky. Women Pass Up Breast, Cervical Cancer Screenings Due To Embarrassment, Misinformation; Fatalism May Play A Role
Appalachian Kentucky women often don't get available screening test for breast and cervical cancer because of embarrassment, lack of accurate information about availability and guidelines, and lack of encouragement from their doctors to get these...
- U Of L Researchers Develop Simple Cervical-cancer Blood Test That Could Be More Accurate And Cheaper Than Pap Smears
A simple blood test can tell whether a woman has cervical cancer and, if she does, "how far it's spread," writes Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal, reporting on research findings from the University of Louisville. The test "a heat profile from a...
- After Several Groups Say Pap Smears Aren't Needed Every Year, Ob/gyns Recommend An Annual 'well-woman' Visit
Though several groups have said women don't need a Pap smear every year, obstetricians and gynecologists still recommend an annual "well-woman" visit and annual pelvic exams for all females over 21. These new recommendations by the American College...
- Most Women In Their 40s Will Continue To Get Mammograms
Now that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that most women do not need mammograms until they are 50, will American women heed the USPSTF?s advice? A recent survey indicates that over two-thirds of women aged 40 to 49 say they will...
- Surgeon Responds To Mammogram Controversy
by Holly Hosler By now, you have likely heard about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force?s controversial new recommendation on Monday that most women should refrain from getting mammograms in their 40s. Their rationale is that most breast cancer...
Health News
Some Women May Not Need Annual Pap Smears
by Holly Hosler
In case you missed it in the big news about the recent USPSTF mammography recommendations, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has also revised guidelines, specific to when women should get Pap smears.
The ACOG now recommends that women have their first Pap smear (test for the early detection of cervical cancer) at age 21 (rather than 18), regardless of their sexual histories. Also, most women no longer need Pap smears on an annual basis, and most can stop having them after age 65 or 70 if they have had no abnormal results in the past 10 years.
According to the ACOG, Pap smears conducted prior to age 21 have resulted in too many false positives, with women undergoing unnecessary procedures to eliminate abnormal growths in cervical tissue. The ACOG argues that by treating these cervical abnormalities, young women are put at risk for too much treatment, anxiety and infertility. Cancer of the cervix in women under age 21 is rare; odds of contracting it stand at about 1 in a million.
The new guidelines also say that women aged 21 to 29 should have a Pap smear once every two years, and women in their 30s and older should have one every 3 years provided that their last three tests were negative.
?ACOG has developed its guidelines based upon significant evidence based clinical data,? says David L. Zisow, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., gynecologist and associate chief of minimally invasive surgery at Northwest Hospital.
However, before you think you can skip your annual Pap smear this year, talk with your doctor about what is the best course of action for you. Regular Pap smears save lives, and the new guidelines should not be taken as a pass to start being lax about your gynecological health.
?Guidelines are just that - a starting point from which to think about what may be best for the individual patient and should never be substituted for clinical judgment,? explains Dr. Zisow. ?Doctors will still need to exercise good clinical judgment in selecting appropriate patients to screen - or not to screen - in light of each individual?s history and medical circumstances.?
- E. Ky. Women Pass Up Breast, Cervical Cancer Screenings Due To Embarrassment, Misinformation; Fatalism May Play A Role
Appalachian Kentucky women often don't get available screening test for breast and cervical cancer because of embarrassment, lack of accurate information about availability and guidelines, and lack of encouragement from their doctors to get these...
- U Of L Researchers Develop Simple Cervical-cancer Blood Test That Could Be More Accurate And Cheaper Than Pap Smears
A simple blood test can tell whether a woman has cervical cancer and, if she does, "how far it's spread," writes Laura Ungar of The Courier-Journal, reporting on research findings from the University of Louisville. The test "a heat profile from a...
- After Several Groups Say Pap Smears Aren't Needed Every Year, Ob/gyns Recommend An Annual 'well-woman' Visit
Though several groups have said women don't need a Pap smear every year, obstetricians and gynecologists still recommend an annual "well-woman" visit and annual pelvic exams for all females over 21. These new recommendations by the American College...
- Most Women In Their 40s Will Continue To Get Mammograms
Now that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that most women do not need mammograms until they are 50, will American women heed the USPSTF?s advice? A recent survey indicates that over two-thirds of women aged 40 to 49 say they will...
- Surgeon Responds To Mammogram Controversy
by Holly Hosler By now, you have likely heard about the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force?s controversial new recommendation on Monday that most women should refrain from getting mammograms in their 40s. Their rationale is that most breast cancer...