Pap Smear, A Way To Detect Abnormalities Before It Turns Into Cancer

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Having a regular Pap smear test can help with early detection before a problem can turn into cancer, according to the American Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) guideline.

The guideline indicates it is important that one person should have a regular preventive care and test to help them discover problems before they develop and turn into bigger problems, like cancer.

The ACOG guideline states women should have a Pap smear every two years starting at age 21. In line with this, women after the age of 30 may decrease the frequency to every three years once they had a normal Pap smear test results in a row and at the same time not having a weak immune system.

What is Pap smear?

Health Central defined it as a medical process that tests for pre-malignant abnormalities on a woman's cervix.

"Pap smears can detect early precancerous changes on the cervix," said Johnathan Lancaster, MD, Ph.D., chair of the department of women's oncology and director of the center for women's oncology at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, in Tampa, Fl. "They are designed to detect cervical dysplasia or precancerous changes especially in the cervix," via Everyday Health.

Why should you have a Pap smear?

Like the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure and by having a Pap smear test this will help a woman expose any abnormalities before they can turn into cancer.  Like all test, Pap smear may not be 100 percent accurate but then regular check-up will eventually be easier for doctors to take steps and treat the culprit before it worsens and turns into cancer.

Pap smear may cause an uncomfortable feeling for a while but then there is no pain with it. It will only take few minutes but can save the lives of women.