Cervical Screening of ‘Limited’ Use in Under 25s

The National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) has been successful for the most part, except for those aged 20-24, according to a new report from Cancer Council NSW.

Incidence of squamous cell carcinoma and overall cervical cancer rates have declined dramatically in women aged 25-plus since the inception of the program in 1991.

“Squamous cell cancer rates in women aged 25 years or more fell by more than 50% but have now plateaued among women aged 25-69 years,” writes Megan Smith and Professor Karen Canfell in the MJA.

But among those aged 20-24, screening has made no difference to cancer rates.

Read more: Cervical Screening of ‘Limited’ Use in Under 25s

Source: 6minutes

How to Reduce Your Risk for Cervical Cancer?

The Latest Information on Vaccines, Tests and Treatments

Find out what you can do to reduce your risk for cervical cancer and whether a diagnosis affects fertility as a top expert discusses advances in treatment…

Cervical cancer, once the leading cause of cancer deaths among U.S. women, is no longer so common. The number of cases has plunged 74% in the past four decades. And the rate of new diagnoses is still dropping 4% each year.

The dramatic turnaround is thanks to Pap smears, which can detect precancerous cells so that they can be treated and cured, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Yet doctors still can’t agree on when you should get your first Pap test, how often you should have it and whether that screening should now be replaced by a human papillomavirus (HPV) screening test. Some experts claim that the new test, recently approved by the FDA, can catch more women at risk for cervical cancer, and earlier, than the Pap smear.

Read more: How to Reduce Your Risk for Cervical Cancer?

Source: lifescript