A new study showing that the percent of women overdue for cervical screening has nearly doubled since 2005 is a “catastrophe,” says cancer specialist Maurie Markman, MD (above) of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
“We have the potential of coming as close to eliminating a cancer as one can come to,” he said.
The study of more than 20,000 women from 2005 to 2019 found that the percent of women who were not up-to-date with cervical cancer screening guidelines increased from 14 percent to 23 percent during those years. Especially overdue were: Asian women, women identifying as LGBQ+, women living in rural areas, and women without health insurance.
The study also found that the most common reason women gave for not getting screened was “lack of knowledge” about the need for screening.
- See “Declining Rate in Cervical Cancer Screenings Cited as Patient Lack of Knowledge” by Jasmyne Ray on the Health Leaders Media website (January 27, 2022)
- See the full text of the scientific Paper “Assessment of US Preventive Services Task Force Guideline–Concordant Cervical Cancer Screening Rates and Reasons for Underscreening by Age, Race and Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, Rurality, and Insurance, 2005 to 2019” by Ryan Suk et al
