Current cervical neoplasia screening practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in the US

The purpose of this study was to determine cervical cancer screening practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in the US after recent revised guidelines. Questionnaires were mailed to 355 randomly selected US obstetrician/gynecologists. Questions were structured as clinical vignettes. Questionnaires w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 2005-02, Vol.192 (2), p.414-421
Main Authors: Saint, Mona, Gildengorin, Ginny, Sawaya, George F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Cervical cancer screening
Female
Female genital diseases
Guidelines
Guidelines as Topic
Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics
Humans
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Pap smears
Tumors
United States
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms - diagnosis
Vaginal Smears
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to determine cervical cancer screening practices of obstetrician/gynecologists in the US after recent revised guidelines. Questionnaires were mailed to 355 randomly selected US obstetrician/gynecologists. Questions were structured as clinical vignettes. Questionnaires were returned by 60% (213/355) of recipients; 185 were eligible. Seventy-four percent would begin screening virginal girls at age 18. Sixty percent would continue annual screening in a 35-year-old woman with 3 or more normal tests. Frequent screening is common in women after total hysterectomy for symptomatic fibroids and no history of dysplasia, and in 70-year-old women with a 30-year history of previous normal tests. Most (82%) use liquid-based cytology; 78% of female respondents would prefer it for themselves. Most (64%) would not adopt triennial Pap/HPV DNA screening, although 58% of women would choose it for themselves. Most US obstetrician/gynecologists screen low-risk women often and indefinitely, despite national guidelines designed to minimize screening harms resulting from overtesting.
ISSN:0002-9378
1097-6868
DOI:10.1016/j.ajog.2004.09.026