Pap tests needed only every 3 years

Women only need to get a Pap test once every three years to check for cervical cancer, and don't need to be screened until age 21 - even if they're sexually active earlier, according to new guidelines from a government-backed panel.

The statement from the United States Preventive Services Task Force, released on Wednesday, aligns closely with guidelines from three U.S. cancer groups that were also announced on Wednesday.

Once they hit 30, women also have the option of getting screened once every five years if they choose to do Pap tests together with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing every time, the committees agreed.

"The bottom line is, we strongly recommend screening," said Dr. Virginia Moyer, chair of the USPSTF and a pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Dallas.

The recommendation to test every three or five years is based on evidence that cervical cancer is relatively slow-growing, she said, so it's very unlikely a woman would develop advanced cancer in the few years after a negative screening.

"The women who get and die of cervical cancer are the women who aren't getting screened," Moyer told Reuters Health. "It's not the woman who hasn't had a screen in a couple years that's the problem."

Cervical Cancer Facts

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus or womb. It is at the top of the vagina. Cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix is called cervical cancer.

Changes in the cells of the cervix can lead to cervical cancer. These cell changes are caused by a virus called the human papilloma virus (HPV).

If cervical cancer occurs, there are tests to find it early when it is small and easier to treat. These tests can also find cell changes before they become cancer.

Most deaths from cervical cancer could be stopped if more women had tests to find cervical cancer early.

Moyer's group attracted controversy late last year when it recommended against annual prostate cancer screening in men, after concluding that the possibility the tests could invite unnecessary and potentially harmful follow-up procedures outweighed their benefits.

The USPSTF's latest recommendations are based on a review of evidence on screening's success at detecting pre-cancerous lesions, as well as both physical and psychological side effects of Pap and HPV tests. Its guidelines were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

The task force found a benefit for Pap tests every three years in women age 21 to 65, or every five years when Pap tests and HPV tests are done together, starting at 30.

Understanding Tests for Cervical Screening

There are 2 types of tests for cervical cancer screening. Both tests are done on samples of cells that a doctor, nurse, or physician assistant removes from your cervix. They gently scrape or brush the cervix with a special instrument.