Cervical Screening Recommendations Changing
The new recommendation for cervical screening will focus on reaching out to under screened women. As of the fall 2011, Pap tests will be recommended to start at age 20. The interval recommendation will be to have three consecutive annual screens, and if all results are negative, to extend screening to once every three years. At age 70, if women have at least 3 negative screens, and no previous abnormal Pap results, screening may cease. For those women who do not have available screening records, the routine recommendation is to have three consecutive normal Pap tests and screening may discontinue.
Over the last 15 months, 12 consultation sessions have been held across the province with over 177 health professionals. These recommendations were developed with an expert work group, including representation from NLMA, pathologists, gynecologists and gyne-oncologists.
The organized cervical screening program will provide two new but essential functions to assist physicians to ensure women do not get lost to follow up. The first is a recall system for women with abnormal cytology. After an abnormal cytology report, if the women do not return to the health system and have a Pap test, colposcopy, or biopsy on record, the provincial cytology registry will send a letter to the attending health care provider to identify the women as overdue. As well, the registry can also identify when women who have had negative cytology in the past and are 36 months (or more)since last screen.
“This is a significant step forward in cervical screening,” comments Joanne Rose, Provincial Director for the CSI Program. “As with any new process, we expect there to be some minor revisions and possibly some duplications. However, the initial checks and test runs indicate this will work. Our focus is to screen women of low risk, with good screening records less often, and to focus on reaching those women that we anticipate are overdue for their return visit.”
The Cervical Screening Guidelines are updated for 2011 and posters will be distributed to physician’s office in early October.