ASCP Applauds Draft Cervical Cancer Screening Recommendations – Encouraged Members to Support Finalization

In a major victory for women’s health and access to preventive care, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has maintained “Grade A” designations for the following cervical cancer screening recommendations in their recently released draft: 

• The USPSTF recommends screening for cervical cancer every three years with cervical cytology alone in women ages 21 to 29 years and then every five years with clinician- or patient-collected high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening in women ages 30 to 65 years. 

• As an alternative to HPV primary screening for women ages 30 to 65 years, the USPSTF recommends continued screening every three years with cervical cytology alone or screening every five years with high-risk HPV testing in combination with cytology (cotesting).  

These draft recommendations represent an important milestone for women’s health, as USPSTF recommendations directly impact access to preventative care and coverage for preventive care. As a patient-centric organization, ASCP encouraged our members to contact the USPSTF to thank them for their important work on this issue, and to urge finalization of the draft recommendations. However, in our organizational comments – and in agreement with comments from the CETC (Cytopathology Education and Training Consortium, comprised of ASCP, CAP, ASC, the American Society for Cytotechnology, and the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology) – ASCP expressed concerns regarding some of the draft language, specifically: self-collected specimens and physician-collected specimens should not be considered equivalent, and the draft recommendations should make a prominent statement that the tests should be FDA-approved for these specific indications, so this requirement is made clear to all ordering clinicians and testing laboratories. 

As of the comment deadline (January 13, 2025), ASCP has recorded thousands of interactions with our microsite, resulting in hundreds of comment forms sent to the USPSTF from our action center. We are pleased with our members’ engagement on this important issue and will update the membership when the draft recommendations are finalized.