Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Screening Recommendations

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recommends that women aged 30-65 years receive cytologic and HPV co-testing every 5 years (preferred) or cytologic testing alone every 3 years (acceptable) 1
For a 62-year-old patient, the screening interval for Pap with HPV co-testing remains every 5 years (or Pap alone every 3 years) until age 65, at which point screening can be discontinued only if there is adequate prior negative screening history 1

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network states that a patient's ability to exit screening at age 65 depends entirely on her prior screening history, not her current age of 62 1
To exit screening at age 65, a patient must have 3 consecutive negative cytologic tests OR 2 consecutive negative co-tests within the past 10 years, and the most recent test must have been performed within the past 5 years 1
A patient must have no history of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), adenocarcinoma in situ, or cancer to exit screening at age 65 1

Women over 60 with abnormal results (such as ASC-US with positive HPV) should NOT exit screening at age 65 without additional negative tests 2, 3
If a patient has any recent abnormal results, she requires continued surveillance until obtaining 2 consecutive negative co-tests or 3 consecutive negative Pap tests before exiting screening 2, 3