What is Cervical Cancer Screening?

Cervical cancer screenings are exams that find early cervical cancer or precancerous cells in your cervix before you have symptoms. There are three screening tests your healthcare provider can use:

An HPV test looks for types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer.
A Pap test (Pap smear) checks for unusual cells in your cervix that are cancer or could turn into cancer if not treated.
An HPV/Pap cotest is when you get both an HPV test and a Pap test at the same time to check for HPV and unusual cells.

Most people should start cervical cancer screenings at age 21 and get them until age 65. This is the case even if you’ve gotten the HPV vaccine. The vaccine prevents most cancer-causing strains of HPV but not all of them.

Even if you’re in between these ages and have never been screened, it’s not too late to start. And the benefits are well worth any dread or jitters about visiting the doctor. Screenings prevent cervical cancer. They allow your healthcare provider to detect and treat precancer in the early stages, preventing the progression to cancer.

How do cervical cancer screenings work?

Your doctor will use a soft brush to collect some cells from your cervix to send to a lab. They will check for HPV (HPV test), unusual cells (Pap test), or both (HPV/Pap cotest). The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force gives screening rules based on age for people with average risk. If you have a higher risk because your immune system is weak or you had abnormal results before, you might need screenings more often.

Age 21 to 29

If you are in this age group, you should have a Pap test, with repeat tests every three years if the test is normal.

Screenings shouldn’t start earlier than age 21, even if you’re already sexually active (and at risk of HPV infection). This is because HPV infections among people in this age group often go away on their own. Also, not all cervical precancers develop into cancers. The ones that do often take several years to do so.

Since these cancers grow so slowly (and because the vaccine works so well), the American Cancer Society has just revised its guidelines for cervical cancer screening. Its advice is to have the HPV test every five years, beginning at age 25.

Your doctor (your gynecologist or regular doctor) will decide the screening schedule and tests that are best for you.

Age 30 to 65

There are a couple of possibilities if you're in this age group. Your doctor might suggest:

A Pap test, with follow-up Paps every three years if your test results are normal.
An HPV test, with follow-up HPV tests every five years if you're negative for the virus.
An HPV/Pap cotest, with follow-up HPV/Pap cotests every five years if your test results are normal.

How do I prepare for a cervical cancer screening?

Your doctor will provide you with guidance on how to prepare. They might require you to:

Do not have vaginal sex for two days prior to your screening.
Do not insert objects into your vagina, such as tampons, vaginal creams or lubricants, two days prior to your visit.
Schedule the appointment for a day after your period.
In some cases, your provider may still be able to do the test during your period. Ask them to advise you.

What are the risks?

You may have a little bleeding after your doctor takes cells from your cervix, but it does not last long. Pap smears and HPV tests are both safe and important for preventing cervical cancer.

What kind of results do you receive and what do the results indicate?

It can take a maximum of three weeks to receive your test results. This is what they indicate:

Normal/negative: The laboratory didn't detect any abnormal cells. If you received an HPV test, a normal result indicates that you tested negative for the virus.
Abnormal/positive: The lab found abnormal cells. An abnormal result on an HPV test is the same as testing positive for the virus.
Unclear/unsatisfactory: The lab can’t tell whether the cells from a Pap test are abnormal or normal. You’ll likely need another Pap test to get clearer results.

If the results are abnormal, what are the next steps?

An abnormal result does not always mean you have cervical cancer. Most abnormal cells in the cervix are caused by things that are not cancer, like infection or irritation. You will still need more tests to be sure. You may need:

A physical exam: Your doctor will look for signs of cancer, like swollen lymph nodes. They will do a pelvic exam unless they already did one during the screening.
A colposcopy: They will look more closely at the unusual cells in your cervix using a special lighted tool called a colposcope.
A biopsy: Your doctor will take a sample of the abnormal tissue to check for cancer. Many times, they take the sample during the same time as a colposcopy.

Biopsy results indicate whether abnormal cells are cervical cancer, precancer or not.

Why choose Tender Palm Super Speciality Hospital for Cervical Cancer Screening in Lucknow, India?

Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital offers advanced Cervical Cancer Screening in Lucknow, India. We have a team of experienced gynecologists and women’s health specialists, known as some of the best doctors for early detection of cervical health issues. We provide accurate screening with Pap smear, HPV testing, colposcopy, and personalized follow-up care. Our team has decades of experience in successfully helping women with Cervical Cancer Screening and early detection in Lucknow, India.