Don't Skip These Essential Women’s Health Screenings

Transcript:

Jamie Forward: Dr. Levin, what are the current screening recommendations?

Dr. Wendy Levin: I think if we frame this more specifically and ask what exams or screenings should women over 35 be having annually, not just of breast cancer, but in all screening for women. So, when you counsel a patient that’s over 35 on annual preventive care, we usually prioritize a number of points based on evidence-based regimens. And so, regarding mammograms, the current recommendations are to begin exactly at age 40 for average risk individuals.

That can be modified depending on what your individual risk is. It could start earlier for patients that have a hereditary risk, or maybe a little bit less frequently if your care provider feels that that’s indicated and can support that with data. Also importantly, there’s cervical cancer screening. So, the American Cancer Society and others emphasize primary HPV testing. This is very important. So, for the average risk woman, an HPV test alone or a co-test with a Pap smear is required every five years from ages 25 to 65. And along with that, an annual pelvic exam is performed, but the cellulose smear itself is no longer required after that age. It’s really just a manual exam to see if there are any masses. And then, of course, there are other things that are important here in annual healthcare, which is a cardiovascular metabolic exam. You’re looking at blood pressure. Fasting lipid panels. Glucose levels and a fasting A1C are also important for risk factors.

And also, again, importantly overall is a comprehensive skin exam. We have a lot of skin cancer that can be caught very early. So, it’s not just breast cancer. It’s really thinking about the overall care that a woman should be getting on an annual basis comprehensively.