Cervical cancer is diagnosed in approximately women in the U.S. each year and is treatable if caught early. Various, high-risk strains of HPV – or human papillomavirus – cause a majority of cervical cancer cases. Regular Pap smears and testing for HPV are key screenings that can detect cellular abnormalities on the cervix. , all women aged 21 through 65 are recommended to have one or both of these screenings at regular intervals depending on family and medical history.
A recently issued U.S. Preventive Services Task Force draft recommendation on cervical cancer screening advocates for HPV testing every five years as the primary approach for cervical cancer screening for women ages 30 to 65. The draft recommendation includes Pap smear screening every three years or combined Pap and HPV screening (co-testing) every five years for women in this age group who are of average risk. While Pap smears and co-testing are part of current guidelines, the USPSTF lists these as alternative approaches in the recently issued draft recommendation. And for the first time, the USPSTF included a self-collection of HPV cells as part of its recommendation.
“Nearly 85 percent of people have an HPV infection in their lifetime. Many will never know it, thus may unknowingly pass it along through sexual contact. Pap smears have long been a gold standard of detecting cervical cancer, and HPV testing has proven to be another effective screening tool. Regardless of recommended guidelines, every woman of screening age should check with their gynecologist or primary care physician to see which test – or combination of testing – and at what frequency is appropriate for them based on their individual health history and family history, as it may differ from the recommended approach,” notes , chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack Meridian Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, New Jersey.
In July 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration two HPV tests that have an option for self-collection of vaginal cells. With these particular tests, patients can self-collect vaginal samples, as long as the collection takes place within a health care setting (doctor’s office, pharmacy, mobile health unit). “There may be a reason why a patient may not want a health care provider to collect the cells, including religious or cultural,” says , chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center in Brick, New Jersey. “Further encouraging self-collection of HPV cells can help remove barriers and increase access to screening opportunities for those patients who might feel uncomfortable otherwise.
“Between vaccines that help prevent HPV and screening that identifies the high-risk HPV strains that cause cancer, we have informative tools to help further reduce incidence for cervical and other cancers,” adds Dr. Pagano.
Once the public comment period for the draft statement expires (January 13), the USPSTF will review and consider all comments before finalizing the statement which will be posted to its The last time the USPSTF made recommendations for cervical cancer screening was in 2018.
###
RSS