Measure description
Percentage of women 21-64 years of age who were screened for cervical cancer using either of the following criteria:
* Women age 21-64 who had cervical cytology performed every 3 years
* Women age 30-64 who had cervical cytology/human papillomavirus (HPV) co-testing performed every 5 years
Rationale
All women are at risk for cervical cancer. In 2018, an estimated 13,240 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S., resulting in an estimated 4,170 deaths (Noone et al., 2018). If pre-cancerous lesions are detected early by Pap tests and treated, the likelihood of survival is nearly 100 percent (American Cancer Society, 2017).
Clinical Recommendation Statements
U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) (2012)
"The USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer in women aged 21 to 65 years with cytology (Papanicolaou smear) every 3 years or, for women aged 30 to 65 years who want to lengthen the screening interval, screening with a combination of cytology and HPV testing every 5 years." (A recommendation)
"The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women younger than age 21 years." (D recommendation)
"The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women older than age 65 years who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk for cervical cancer." (D recommendation)
"The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women who have had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and who do not have a history of a high-grade precancerous lesion (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3) or cervical cancer." (D recommendation).
"The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer with HPV testing, alone or in combination with cytology, in women younger than age 30 years." (D recommendation)