image by: DES Daughter

HWN Suggests

HPV tests can replace most Pap smears, according to new recommendations

 '

Pap smears could be a thing of the past—at least for some patients. An update to the official recommendations for cervical cancer screening now includes the option to get a different test, one that looks for a virus rather than for abnormal cells.

Most women right now get a Pap every three years, likely when they visit their gynecologist or possibly when they see their primary care physician. That’s the current recommendation, though it’s only been that way since 2012. Prior to that, patients were advised to get a Pap smear annually, but after looking at the data officials realized they could achieve the same effectiveness with fewer tests, which also meant fewer false…

read full article

Featured

 Delay in replacing the Pap smear with HPV screening is costing lives

It was established a decade ago that testing for the presence of HPV – the virus that causes cervical cancer – is a better cervical screening test than the Pap smear. Yet in England, the Pap smear is still used, and it’s costing lives.

 For Cervical Cancer Screening, Women Over 30 Can Now Choose The HPV Test Only

... the USPSTF now says the evidence is strong enough that HPV tests can be used by themselves, for women over 30. That third choice expands on the task force's previous recommendation, which was for the Pap test or the combination test.

 HPV test doubles the chance of finding precursors to cervical cancer

Testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV) offers women twice the chance of catching indicators of cervical cancer than traditional Pap tests do — and requires less frequent testing too, according to a large study published in JAMA Tuesday.

Articles of Interest

The controversial test that's poised to replace the Pap smear

Until more consensus emerges in the medical community about a new age cut off, if you're between 25 and 30, you might want to talk to your doctor about getting an HPV test. If you're over 30, the current guidelines already recommend "co-testing" or getting both the HPV and Pap test at the same time. That's because HPV in older women is more likely to be related to cell abnormalities that could become cancerous. So having a sensitive test is a good thing.

All the Reasons Doctors Shouldn’t Replace the Pap Smear With an HPV Test

The Food and Drug Administration recently signed off on a new approach to preventing cervical cancer in women. Instead of the Pap test, where doctors look for abnormal cells on the cervix that might turn into cancer, some doctors are instead testing women for HPV, since most types of cervical cancer develop from persistent HPV virus in the cervix. But this new method of monitoring patients for possible cervical cancer has been subject to a lot of controversy.

Should HPV Testing Replace The Pap Smear?

We were able to show that 1 in 10 women who were clear by a normal Pap test had already got pre-cancer, so ... as good as a normal Pap is, it does miss disease that you can pick up and detect with an HPV test - Paul Brown

This Pap-Test Alternative Is Just as Uncomfortable but Might Be More Accurate

I would have jumped at the chance to never again have my vagina pried open by a cold, ominous, salad-tongs-resembling plastic tool, only to have cells scraped from my cervix after more invasive poking-around with another frigid tool.

Resources

Nurx

Our HPV test screens for the strains of HPV that potentially lead to cervical cancer. It’s quick, easy and can be done by you in the privacy of your own home.

The HPV Test

Cervical cancer can easily be prevented. Its cause is known: the human papillomavirus (HPV). Today, technologies are available to test for the cancer-causing types of HPV and determine if you may be at risk. We invite you to learn more about HPV testing together with your Pap and reduce your risk of cervical cancer.

MedlinePlus

You may need an HPV test if you: Are a woman aged 30-65. The American Cancer Society recommends women in this age group have an HPV test with a pap smear (co-testing) every five years. If you are a woman of any age that gets an abnormal result on a pap smear.