Fact that cervical cancer screening continues to find abnormalities in women over 50 is showed by a new study published by The Institute of Cancer Research. This study will response discussion about whether to continue cervical cancer screening of women over 50 with a prior history of negative pap smear tests.
Women over 50 have a lower risk of developing cervical cancer than young adult women. Only 1% women in over 50 have precancerous changes but 10% of women in their 20s have abnormalities.
Previous studies have showed that cervical cancer screening in over 50s may be causing more harm than good because the cervical cancer risk is lower in older women. But, in this new study which done in women aged 20 to 64 years between 1988 and 2003 found that cervical cancer screening does in fact find serious abnormalities. It showed two-thirds of abnormal smears were found in women who had two previous negative results in their 40s.
From this study, we can conclude that stopping cervical cancer screening in older women, even in those who have had clear results in their 40s, would miss a group of women who have risks of developing cervical cancer later in life. So, women over 50 should continue to be screened, as they continue to be at risk of developing cervical cancer.