Cervical cancer has declined dramatically in the United States because of Pap tests, which are recommended every three years for women 21 to 65. Starting at age 30, women can also have an HPV test every five years; they're not recommended before then because brief infections are so common, they would give too many false alarms. About 12,000 new cases and 4,200 deaths from cervical cancer occur each year in the United States, mostly in women who have never been screened or not in the past five years. Paps cost $15 to $60; HPV tests run $50 to $100. Doctors don't know how the vaccine will affect HPV test results or how long the vaccine lasts, so women should still be screened for cervical cancer if they are within the recommended screening ages. ___ Online: Cervical screening advice: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspscerv.htm CDC on HPV tests: http://www.cdc.gov/hpv/Screening.html Cancer conference: http://www.aacr.org |