Friday, November 20, 2009

New cervical cancer screening guidelines

The advice is intended to cut down on unneccesary testing and reduce the risk of harmful invasive procedures to remove non-cancerous lesions that may show up on tests but often disappear if left alone, the group said.

The new recommendations overturn previous guidance, which suggested women should be tested yearly starting within three years of their first sexual intercourse.

In addition to waiting longer for a first test, the group said women over 30 with three consecutive normal test results can wait for three years before their next Pap.