2003 Cervical Cancer Guidelines by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
Pittsburgh Cervical Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers Represent Medical Malpractice Victims in Pennsylvania
In January 2003, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released new guidelines on cervical cancer screening.The key to continued reductions in deaths from cervical cancer is early detection.
During 2002, about 4,100 women in the United States died from cervical cancer. This number reflects an estimated 70 percent decline from the mid-20th century, when the
Papanicolaou (Pap) test – the collection of cells from the cervix for examination under a microscope – was first introduced as a screening tool. Cervical cancer screening is important to detect significant abnormal cell changes that may arise before cancer develops.In recent years, researchers have identified HPV, which is transmitted through sex, as the main cause of cervical cancer.
Cervical Cancer Malpractice Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A summary of the new guidelines follows:
• Cervical cancer screening should begin approximately three years after a woman begins having sexual intercourse, but no later than at 21 years old.
• Experts recommend waiting approximately three years following the initiation of sexual activity because transient HPV infections and cervical cell changes that are not significant are common and it takes years for a significant abnormality or cancer to develop. Cervical cancer is extremely rare in women under the age of 25.
• Women should have a Pap test at least once every three years.
• Women 65 to 70 years of age who have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years may decide, upon consultation with their healthcare provider, to stop cervical cancer screening.
• Women who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) do not need to undergo cervical cancer screening, unless the surgery was done as a treatment for cervical precancer or cancer.
• Women should seek expert medical advice about when they should begin screening, how often they should be screened, and when they can discontinue cervical screenings, especially if they are at higher than average risk of cervical cancer due to factors such as HIV infection.
The USPSTF guidelines are available at https://www.ahrq.gov/prevention/guidelines/index.html
Contact the Skilled Cervical Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawyers Pittsburgh, PA at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC
Going through a cervical cancer misdiagnosis can be one of the most traumatizing things that a women can experience. Getting an incorrect or delayed diagnosis can drastically alter the options that someone faces when fighting cancer. Even the top medical facilities in Pittsburgh have medical malpractice cases come out of them, including Allegheny General Hospital, Jefferson Hospital and St. Clair Hospital. If you have suffered from a cervical cancer misdiagnosis in Western Pennsylvania, call the Pittsburgh medical malpractice lawyers at Berger Lagnese & Paul, LLC. Our office is located at 310 Grant St #720, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and consultations can be scheduled either online or via phone call at (412) 471-4300.