Adjustment of cervical cancer screening protocols as a woman ages may be cost-effective, regardless of whether she has been vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) that causes cervical cancer.

Since the release of cervical cancer screening guidelines in 2001 and 2003, more data has become available showing that HPV DNA-based testing is more effective in detecting precancerous changes in a woman’s cervix than standard cytology (Pap) tests. With these data and the development of a vaccine that prevents two types of HPV infection, analyses are needed that estimate both the effectiveness and cost of different screening strategies for U.S. women.

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