Health & Fit Middle-age women can choose Pap smear or HPV test for cancer screening

© Deborah Jaffe/Photolibrary/Getty Images (Reuters Health) - Middle-aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening, according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government.

Women ages 30 to 65 can choose to receive a Pap test every three years or a human papillomavirus (HPV) test every five years, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The group did not previously recommend HPV testing without a Pap test.

"Women and providers should continue to recognize that cervical cancer is a serious disease that can be prevented," said Dr. Maureen Phipps, a member of the USPTF.

Adult colorectal cancer risk tied to weight as a teen

<p>Being overweight or obese as a teenager may increase a person’s risk of developing colorectal cancer as an adult, according to a large study.</p>Long-term follow-up of 1.79 million Israeli men and women examined for military service as teenagers showed that overweight and obese teens were over 50 percent more likely to develop colon or rectal cancer by middle age, compared to normal-weight peers.

Middle - aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening , according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government. Women ages 30 to 65 can choose to receive a Pap test every three years or a human papillomavirus ( HPV )

Middle - aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening , according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government. Women ages 30 to 65 can choose to receive a Pap test every three years or a human papillomavirus ( HPV )

"Women who can be identified early through screening can have effective treatment for cervical cancer and go on to lead robust lives," said Phipps, who is also chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Cervical cancer was once a leading cause of cancer death for women in the U.S., but the death rate has been cut in half thanks mostly to screening, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Nearly 12,800 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2017, according to the ACS. About 4,200 women will die of the disease.

The USPSTF last addressed cervical cancer screening in 2012, when it advised women ages 21 to 65 to have a Pap test every three years. Women ages 30 to 65 could lengthen the time between screenings to five years if they also received an HPV test at the same time.

Ovarian cancer symptoms and warning signs

On Sept. 1, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month begins. With around 22,440 new cases of ovarian cancer predicted for 2017, it's possible that a woman you know may receive a diagnosis. Ovarian cancer is the tenth most common cancer and the fifth-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., but it can be treated if it's caught early, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HPV DNA Test . picture illustrating cervical cancer screening with pap test . A Pap test is recommended for women between ages 21 and 65, and can be done in a doctor's office or clinic. Women should start getting Pap tests regularly

(Reuters Health) - Middle - aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening , according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government.

Video: New Vaccine Expands HPV protection (Wochit News)

Click to expand

New Vaccine Expands HPV protection

Wochit News

See more videos

SHARE

SHARE

TWEET

SHARE

EMAIL

What to watch next

• 

  Lack of sleep can be bad for your marriage

  
  Buzz601:14
• 

  Toddler and deaf Great Dane share an adorable friendship

  
  Inside Edition0:53
• 

  These boys have hilariously opposite reactions to baby news

  
  TODAY0:53
• 

  See how these women transformed their dorm room

  
  Southern Living0:56
• 

  You're going to want to follow Joanna Gaines' diet

  
  Buzz600:57
• 

  There's more women in stunt industry than you'd expect

  
  SELF1:26
• 

  Women may be better at breaking up in the long term

  
  Buzz600:58
• 

  Keep your pet in your bedroom for a better night's sleep

  
  Buzz600:58

• 

  How to order Starbucks' secret pumpkin cheesecake frappuccino

  
  E! Online0:58
• 

  What irks airline workers the most about travelers

  
  Wochit Business0:49
• 

  Babies adorably fight over cabinet hideaway

  
  USA TODAY1:15
• 

  Here are the details of Prince George's first day of school

  
  ETonline1:51
• 

  This 8-year-old fashion designer has a style all her own

  
  TODAY1:41
• 

  These major fashion brands are banning size 0 requirements for models

  
  Newsy1:46
• 

  Prince George Arrives for First Day of School

  
  NBC News0:42
• 

  Do you know when your beauty products expire?

  
  TODAY1:19

UP NEXT

PSA screening for prostate cancer saves lives after all, study says

After years of growing doubt about the value of screening men for prostate cancer, a new analysis of existing clinical trial evidence has found that when men between 55 and 70 get the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test, the result is lives saved. In 2009, a New England Journal of Medicine editorialist famously called the debate over PSA testing for prostate cancer "the controversy that In 2009, a New England Journal of Medicine editorialist famously called the debate over PSA testing for prostate cancer "the controversy that refuses to die.

Middle - aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening , according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government.

By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - Middle - aged women can choose which test to undergo for cervical cancer screening , according to a draft recommendation from an influential group backed by the U.S. government.

A woman's experience does not differ by the screening; both of the tests require analysis of cells scraped from the cervix. But the Pap test - also known as cytology - looks for potentially cancerous cells on the cervix. The HPV - or hrHPV - test looks for the virus that can cause cervical cancer.

After a review of new evidence, the USPSTF recommends that women ages 21 to 29 receive a Pap test every three years. For women ages 30 to 65, they recommend either a Pap test every three years or an HPV test every five years.

Unless a women is at high risk for cervical cancer, the USPSTF recommends against screening after age 65.

Phipps told Reuters Health that the HPV test may not be right for younger women since infections with the virus often clear up on their own. Additionally, they recommend against screening among most older women since the risk of cervical cancer is low.

As for now allowing women between 30 and 65 to choose between Pap and HPV tests, the USPSTF writes that the individual tests "offer a reasonable balance between benefits and harms."

They caution that HPV testing leads to much higher rates of additional testing than Pap testing. They did not examine the costs of these screenings, however.

PSA screening for prostate cancer saves lives after all, study says

After years of growing doubt about the value of screening men for prostate cancer, a new analysis of existing clinical trial evidence has found that when men between 55 and 70 get the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, test, the result is lives saved. In 2009, a New England Journal of Medicine editorialist famously called the debate over PSA testing for prostate cancer "the controversy that In 2009, a New England Journal of Medicine editorialist famously called the debate over PSA testing for prostate cancer "the controversy that refuses to die.

Middle - age Women can Choose Pap smear or HPV Test for Cancer Screening ! http://ift.tt/2xUmpIz.

Middle - age Women can Choose Pap smear or HPV Test for Cancer Screening ! Health Fair Women 's Health Health Fitness Hpv Test Cervical Cancer Cancer Cells African American Women Cancer Awareness Black Women .

The American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists (ACOG) still recommends Pap testing alone or in conjunction with HPV testing, said Dr. Linus Chuang, who is professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

"I don’t think this will make American obstetricians and gynecologists change practice, because they will look at ACOG as gold standard," said Chuang, who was not involved with the new recommendations. "But this will challenge it."

The USPSTF is accepting public comments on its draft recommendations until October 9, online at http://bit.ly/2jlQBpC.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2wZcSOC USPSTF, online September 12, 2017.

Gallery: 10 signs of cervical cancer you need to know about (by Redbook)your ob-gyn, you've taken the crucial first step in preventing cervical cancer. (Bonus points if you also received the vaccine that protects against the strains of HPV most associated with the disease.) But scouting out this gynecological cancer - around 12,000 new cases are diagnosed each year - requires more than just a pap smear every few years. Here, doctors share the changes you need to be aware of, plus what should send you to your ob-gyn ASAP.