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After menopause, many women may not need to be screened for cervical
cancer as frequently as they were when they were younger, researchers
report.
- The study included more than 2,500 postmenopausal
women with heart disease who were enrolled in a study of hormone replacement
therapy
- At the beginning of the study, all women had
normal Pap smear results
- Within 2 years of having a normal Pap smear,
110 women tested positive for a cervical abnormality on a later screen
- However, in all but one of
these cases, the results were false-positive, meaning that
the women did not have cancer or any other dangerous abnormalities
Besides the expense of medical test procedures used
to confirm a false-positive result, a false screen can lead to:
"Until more information is available, we recommend not performing
cervical smears within 2 years of a normal smear in postmenopausal women,"
the researchers conclude. Postmenopausal women who choose to be screened
more frequently should be informed of the risk for false-positive
results and the need for further diagnostic testing.
The findings apply only to postmenopausal women who have had previous
normal Pap smears.
Annals of Internal Medicine, December
19, 2000;133: 942-950
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