Despite conflicting guidelines for cervical cancer screening
during the past several years, fewer women received unnecessary
Pap tests in 2010 than in 2000, according to a pair of analyses
published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by
scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). But many continue to receive screening they
are unlikely to benefit from. Early identification of cancerous
cervical lesions can help improve patient outcomes, which has
led many organizations to recommend routine cervical cancer
screening for women. But a growing body of evidence has
suggested that cervical cancer screening in certain populations
or screening performed at too-frequent intervals is not a good
thing. Screening of women who are younger than 21 years or who
have had a hysterectomy is unlikely to provide any benefit
because these women have a very low risk of cervical cancer. Yet
screening these low-risk individuals causes unnecessary health
care expenditures and may lead to adverse