New Guidelines Proposed for Cervical Cancer Screening

Health Groups Issue Proposed Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines The American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) have developed new guidelines for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. The proposed guidelines generally advise that women reduce the number of tests they get over their lifetime to better ensure that they receive the benefits of testing while minimizing the risks. The proposed guidelines also include a preference for co-testing using the Pap test and HPV test for women age 30 and over. The proposed guidelines were released on the same day that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) formally released its proposed guidelines update for cervical cancer screening. ACS, ASCCP and ASCP worked independently of the USPSTF to review existing evidence and develop these draft