The HHS Office on Women’s Health (OWH) knows how important it is for you to have the latest information on prevention and treatment to help you best serve your patients. Each month, we will share a curated list of tools and resources that you can immediately put into practice.

Cervical Cancer Screening — News You Can Use

Recommendations for Screening  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), every year, more than 12,000 women develop cervical cancer and more than 4,000 women die from it. Regular screening may detect changes in cervical cells before they become cancer. Read the latest recommendations for screening: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s final recommendation statement on cervical cancer screening The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ practice advisory on cervical cancer screening

Older Women Can Still Get Cervical Cancer A recent study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that many women approaching age 65 do not have an adequate prior screening history for cervical cancer, which they need before discontinuing routine screening. This could contribute to preventable cases of cervical cancer and related deaths. To be considered as having an adequate prior screening history, your patient should have had three consecutive negative cytology results or two consecutive negative HPV results within 10 years before cessation of screening.

The study also reported that:

• Women over age 65, particularly older black women, have some of the highest cervical cancer incidence rates.
• Catch-up screening may be needed for underscreened women after age 65. 
  
  

For Your Patients

OWH has curated information you can easily share with your patients.

• OWH’s cervical cancer fact sheet explains what causes cervical cancer, how to screen for it, and ways to lower your risk.
• CDC’s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program provides low-income, uninsured, and underserved women access to timely breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services. Click here to get more information on eligibility or to find providers in your state.

For more updates on women’s health, follow OWH on Twitter.

Volume 1, Issue 11