ACOG Statement on Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines

Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Christopher M. Zahn, MD, FACOG, vice president of practice activities at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) on the cervical cancer screening recommendations from the American Cancer Society (ACS):

“ACOG looks forward to comprehensively reviewing the ACS recommendations and the supporting evidence in order to determine whether a similar update to our clinical guidance document on cervical cancer screening is needed. In the interim, ACOG affirms our current cervical cancer screening guidelines, which encompass all three cervical cancer screening strategies (high-risk human papillomavirus testing alone, cervical cytology alone, and co-testing). ACOG’s current screening guidelines reflect a balance of benefit and potential harms and support shared decision-making between patients and their clinicians.

“The value of cervical cancer screening cannot be emphasized enough. The incidence of cervical cancer in the United States has decreased more than 50 percent in the past 30 years because of widespread screening. An evidence-based approach to cervical cancer screening will allow us to continue to build on this progress.”