American Internet Tech donates to American Cancer Society (August 2020)
The American Cancer Society (ACS) has updated its guidelines for cervical cancer screening. The new guidelines are for people with a cervix with an average risk of cervical cancer.
For people aged 25 to 65 years, the preferred screening recommendation is to get a primary human papillomavirus (HPV) test every 5 years. A primary HPV test is an HPV test that is done by itself for screening. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain tests to be primary tests.
Because these HPV tests may not be widely available in the US yet, the guidelines include these two other acceptable screening methods and schedules.
• A co-test every 5 years that combines an HPV test with a Pap test.
Or
• A pap test alone every 3 years.
The most important thing to remember is to get screened regularly, no matter which test you get.
The 2020 guidelines also recommend that people older than age 65 with a cervix stop being screened as long as they’ve had 10 years of regular screening with normal results. Otherwise, they should continue to be screened until they do.
Those who have had their cervix removed, such as from a hysterectomy, don’t need screening as long as the surgery was done for reasons not related to cervical cancer or serious pre-cancer.
People who have gotten the HPV vaccine should still follow the screening guidelines.
The goal of cervical cancer screening is to find pre-cancers that are likely to progress to cancer and to remove or treat them before they do. Screening can also find cervical cancer at an early stage, when it is easier to treat.
You are at average risk if you don’t have any symptoms of cervical cancer and any of these is true.
• It’s the first time you’re getting screened.
• Your results have been normal every time you’ve been screened before.
• You had an abnormal result checked and your healthcare provider told you that you could follow the screening schedule for people at average risk.
You need to talk to your healthcare provider and follow different guidelines if either or both of these are true.
• You’ve had pre-cancer or cancer of the cervix in the past.
• You have a weakened immune system. This includes, for example, people who have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or had an organ transplant or stem cell transplant. It also includes people whose mothers took diethylstilbestrol (DES) when she was pregnant with them.
Don’t wait to see a doctor if you have problems between screenings. See a doctor right away if you have symptoms of cervical cancer—don’t wait to be screened. These symptoms include unusual bleeding or discharge from the vagina or pain during sex.
American Internet Tech supports the American Cancer Society and proceeds to one more monthly donation. Staying united will help us beat cancer.
