Three-year Pap screening interval carries low risk
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
A US study has provided more evidence to validate lengthening the interval between cervical cancer screening tests to three years. The study of 1.2 million screening result records found that women over 30, who have had three consecutive negative Pap smears, incurred very little risk if the screening interval was lengthened from one year to three years. The findings back the decision by the US National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to lengthen the screening interval of enrolled women with multiple consecutive Pap tests. The study is published in The New England Journal of Medicine (October 16).