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THURSDAY, July 30, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
An updated guideline from the American Cancer<\/a> Society calls for more simplified cervical cancer screening<\/a>, administered less often.<\/p>\n The new guideline calls for an initial cervix screening at age 25, followed by the human papillomavirus<\/a> (HPV<\/a>) test every five years, continuing through age 65, the guideline says.<\/p>\n “These streamlined recommendations can improve compliance and reduce potential harms,” said Debbie Saslow, a managing director at the American Cancer<\/a> Society. “They are made possible by some important developments that have allowed us to transform our approach to cervical cancer<\/a> screening, primarily a deeper understanding of the role of HPV<\/a> and the development of tools to address it.”<\/p>\n Nearly all cervical cancer<\/a> is caused by strains<\/a> of HPV<\/a>. The HPV test<\/a> is more accurate than the Pap test<\/a> and can be done less often, the ACS said.<\/p>\n Until all labs transition to the new standard of primary HPV<\/a> testing, the guideline says HPV tests can be used in combination with the Pap test<\/a>. Such co-testing can be done every five years, or a Pap test alone can be administered every three years, the guideline says.<\/p>\n A negative HPV test<\/a> is linked to a low risk for cervical cancer<\/a>. An HPV vaccine<\/a> has been available for nearly 15 years to protect women from most cervical cancers<\/a>.<\/p>\n The previous guideline called for screening to begin at age 21, but HPV vaccination has resulted in a drop in cervical cancer<\/a> rates.<\/p>\n Compared to a Pap test alone, Saslow said the new strategy is estimated to prevent 13% more cervical cancers<\/a> and 7% more cervical cancer<\/a> deaths.<\/p>\n The guideline was published July 30 in the journal CA: A Cancer<\/a> Journal for Clinicians<\/i>.<\/p>\n — Steven Reinberg<\/p>\n ![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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