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dr swati shah - uro & gynec cancer surgeon
dr swati shah - uro & gynec cancer surgeon
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Should Cervical Cancer Screening Continue After Age 60?

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Should Cervical Cancer Screening Continue After Age 60

In many countries, routine cervical cancer screening stops around age 60. The idea is that women past this age are at lower risk of developing the disease. But new research from the Netherlands shows that some women over 60 may still benefit from continued follow-up.

This study followed more than 10,000 women who had their final screening test (exit smear) between ages 59 and 61. The researchers compared women with normal results to those with abnormal results. They tracked the women for up to 22 years to see who developed cervical cancer or precancerous changes (CIN).

The findings were clear. Women with an abnormal test result at their last screening had a much higher risk of cervical cancer later in life. Those with a high-grade abnormal result were nearly 19 times more likely to develop cervical cancer than women with a normal result. Their risk of serious precancerous changes was more than 100 times higher.

Importantly, most of these women had normal test results again before cancer was eventually found. This means that even after an abnormal test, risk can remain for many years, and cancer can still appear later in life.

For women, this study highlights that cervical cancer risk does not simply disappear after 60—especially if the final screening test shows an abnormality. For this group, continuing screening or closer follow-up may help detect disease earlier and save lives.

DOI: 10.1097/LGT.0000000000000893

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