The Pap test is the most effective screening procedure for detecting abnormal changes in the cervix, including precancerous conditions. Appropriate treatment of precancerous conditions prevents the development of cervical cancer. Recent advances in Pap test technology are under evaluation and may improve the test's sensitivity. Older women should have a Pap test at least once every three years. As of January 1998, Medicare covers Pap tests once every 3 years for all Medicare beneficiaries.
Cervical cancer remains a major public health concern.
For women of all ages in the United States, the incidence rate of cervical cancer is 8.3 per 100,000 women and the mortality rate is 2.9 per 100,000 women. Incidence rates of 15 per 100,000 women or higher also occur among Alaska Native, Korean, and Hispanic women. The lowest incidence rate is 5.8 per 100,000 among Japanese women. It is estimated that approximately 13,700 women in the United States will develop invasive cervical cancer, and 4,900 women will die from this disease in 1998. 7 One-half of the women with newly diagnosed invasive cervical cancer have never had a Pap test, and another 10 percent have not had a Pap test in the past 5 years.