Updated Recommendations

Although the Practice Guidelines “ACS Releases Updated Guidelines on Cancer Screening” (September 15, 2012, p. 571) accurately reflected the content of the source guideline, the American Cancer Society (ACS) subsequently updated its guidance on screening for cervical cancer in conjunction with the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and the American Society for Clinical Pathology.¹ The updated ACS recommendations are largely consistent with those from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which were also published in the September 15, 2012 issue of AFP (p. 555), in advising that cervical cancer screening begin at 21 years of age, regardless of the age of onset of sexual intercourse; that screening occur every three years for women 21 to 29 years of age; and that women 30 to 65 years of age be provided the option of co-testing with cytology and human papillomavirus testing every five years, rather than cytology alone every three years. The editorial “ACS/ASCCP/ASCP Guidelines for the Early Detection of Cervical Cancer” (September 15, 2012, p. 501) reviewed and compared the 2012 guidelines of the ACS and USPSTF.