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Visiting your women’s health provider to get a Pap test is important to screen for cervical cancer. But an abnormal Pap test doesn’t usually mean that you have cancer—just that you need to discuss further testing and monitoring with your provider.

 Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. According to the National Cancer Institute, when cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the five-year survival rate is 91%. But, when cervical cancer spreads to nearby tissue, organs or lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate drops to 60%.

That means routine Pap smears—a cervical cancer screening test—are important to keeping you healthy.

What is a Pap test, and how often should I get one?

A Pap test—or pap smear—collects cells from the cervix to be tested for cervical precancer or cancer cells. Depending on your age, we’ll also test for HPV (human papillomavirus) from the same sample as your pap smear. During a pelvic exam, the provider swabs the cervix with a small, soft brush to collect cells. A Pap test is over in just a few minutes.

Screening frequency varies by age and risk factors. For most patients:

  • Age 21: Get your first Pap test, repeating every three years.
  • Age 30: Start co-testing—getting a Pap and HPV tests together—every five years.
  • Age 65: Talk to your doctor about your health history and if you can stop getting Pap tests.

What happens if I get an abnormal Pap test?

An abnormal Pap test—or positive test result—simply means that some cells on your cervix look different from others. A positive test result does not mean that you have cancer—it just means that you need further evaluation and testing.

The most common abnormal Pap test result is atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US). This means that there are cells that look abnormal, but it’s unclear what’s caused those changes. They could be from inflammation, infection or hormonal changes—none of which are linked to cancer. Typically, the follow-up for this type of test result is an HPV test to see if the changes may be caused by the HPV virus, which causes nearly all cervical cancers.

There are several other types of abnormal Pap test results which may indicate an increased risk for cervical precancer or cancer. At MetroHealth, we’ll follow up with you after an abnormal Pap test to recommend the right course of additional testing and treatment.

What causes cervical cancer?

According to the Centers for Disease Control, HPV is thought to be responsible for more than 90% of cervical cancers.

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Nearly every sexually active adult has been exposed to HPV. Most HPV infections go away on their own within 1-2 years, but some can persist and eventually lead to cancer. There are over 100 varieties of the HPV virus, but only a few strains of HPV cause cervical cancer.

HPV vaccination can prevent infection from the most worrisome types of HPV.

If you have children, you should talk to your provider about the HPV vaccine.

Care for every age and every stage

Screening is important to detect cervical cancer.
Call 216-778-4444 to schedule an appointment with a MetroHealth Women’s Health provider,
or visit www.metrohealth.org/obgyn to learn more.