Most deaths from cancer of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus, or womb) could be avoided if women had regular checkups with Pap tests. This cancer can take several years to develop and most often is seen in women age 40 or older. Getting routinely screened can help you identify cervical cancer in its early stages, when it is highly curable. Screening even finds precancerous lesions so they can be removed before cancer ever starts to develop.

The American Cancer Society, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists offer the following recommendations for teens and young women:

The most recent guidelines on cervical cancer screening lengthen the interval between tests for many women once they have had 2 or 3 normal Pap smears in a row. Younger women are monitored closely for high-risk types of disease, middle-aged women are more likely to be told to get retested in 3 years instead of each year, and many older women can stop having Pap tests altogether. Even if you do not need a Pap test each year, for most women, an annual pelvic exam is still recommended, reminds the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Women who have not been tested for cervical cancer in 3 or more years or who have never been tested are especially urged to have a Pap test.

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Sources
American Cancer Society. Overview: cervical cancer: what causes cancer of the cervix? can it be prevented? Revised 2003 Nov 4. Available on the Internet at http://www.cancer.org. Accessed August 10, 2004.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Cervical cancer screening: testing can start later and occur less often under new ACOG recommendations (press release). 2003 Jul 31. Available on the Internet at http://www.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr07-31-03-1.cfm. Accessed July 15, 2004.

American College of Physicians. New pap guidelines reduce screening, but raise concerns about compliance. Observer. 2003 Apr. Available on the Internet at http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/apr03/pap_guides.htm?hp. Accessed July 15, 2004.

Smith RA, Cokkinides V, and Eyre HJ, for the American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society guidelines for the early detection of cancer, 2003. CA Caner J Clin. 2003;53:27-43. Available on the Internet at http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/cgi/content/full/53/1/27. Accessed August 5, 2004.

Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Basic facts on screening and the Pap test. Available on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/cc_basic.htm. Accessed August 2, 2004.

Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Cervical cancer and Pap test information. Available on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/nbccedp/info-cc.htm. Accessed July 15, 2004.

United States Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for cervical cancer (release date: Jan 2003). Available on the Internet at http://www.ahcpr.gov/clinic/uspstf/uspscerv.htm. Accessed July 15, 2004.