NR 503 Week 2 Discussion Board; Epidemiology Methods - Screening for Cervical Cancer

Institution	Chamberlain
Contributor	Michael Harrison

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Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among women,

therefore screening for cervical cancer is critical to decreasing the

incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer (Bedell et al., 2020). The

Papanicolaou (pap) smear is considered the gold standard for cervical

cancer screenings (Bedell et al., 2020). In addition to a pap smear a

Human Papillomavirus(HPV) test can also be performed to detect the

presence of HPV, which is known to be one of the most common causes

of cervical cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

[CDC],2021). Both a pap smear and HPV test are simple procedures that

can be performed in a primary care clinic using a speculum to help the

provider examine the appearance of the cervix and to collect cells from

the cervix for the lab. The collected specimen is sent to a lab where the

cells are assessed for a normal or abnormal appearance; or if a HPV test

is performed the lab will test the cells for HPV (CDC, 2021). A pap

smear and HPV testing are considered screening procedures. If any

abnormal results are encountered a colposcopy, or a cervical biopsy, will

be conducted to further analyze the findings of the screening tests (CDC,

2021). The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF)

recommends that women begin screenings for cervical cancer at the age

of twenty-one and continue through the age of sixty-five as long as

adequate prior screening has occurred. This recommendation stems from

an increased risk of developing cervical cancer due to potential exposure

to high-risk HPV types among this age group. However, the type of

screening and the intervals at which reoccurrence of screening changes

as women age (USPSTF, 2018). Current recommendations by the

USPSTF state that women aged twenty-one to twenty-nine receive

cytology screening alone, which is achieved through a pap smear and

assessing cells for normal appearance every three years (2018). Cytology

testing every three years alone can continue for those aged thirty to

sixty-five however, it is recommended that either high-risk HPV testing

or co-testing, which includes both cytology and HPV testing, occur every

five years...... Continue

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