Abstract:

In 2012, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), and the American Cancer Society (ACS) teamed up to produce new Pap screening guidelines based on similar conclusions reached after reviewing scientific literature. They essentially concluded that frequent Pap screening (yearly) did not find more cases of cancer in low-risk patients. Patients are considered low-risk if they have normal Pap smears and screen negative for human papilloma virus (HPV.) They did not change the screening recommendations for high risk patients.  The American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG) adopted these guidelines.