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In guidelines that may encourage more women to get screened for cervical cancer, a leading health task force has backed giving women over 30 the option to collect their own vaginal samples for testing.

Instead of needing to have a complete pelvic exam, these women can now go to a doctor’s office and collect their own tissue to be tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), the infection...

In a letter sent to teaching hospitals and medical schools across the country, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that written consent must be obtained from patients before performing sensitive procedures such as pelvis and prostate exams.

The agency noted that it "is aware of media reports, as well as medical and scientific literature, highlighting instances whe...

While new research suggests cancer screenings are not extending lives for the most part, the study's authors stressed that there are still good reasons why people should continue with screenings.

Their review of clinical trials looked at six kinds of common cancer tests -- mammography, colonoscopy, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) or endoscopy, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests and c...

Talking about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be uncomfortable. But whether you're talking to your partner, child or doctor, these are important conversations to have.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 20% of Americans had an STI...

A new study shows that many women diagnosed with and dying from cervical cancer are older than 65 -- a group for whom routine screening is usually not recommended.

Cervical cancer screening has been credited with a sharp drop in deaths from the disease in the decades since it was introduced in the United States. But current guidelines state that once a woman reaches 65, if she has been re...

Just 14% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States are detected through routine screening, a new analysis finds -- pointing to many missed opportunities to catch cancer early.

"It's surprising, but true," said Caroline ...

Researchers warn that high rates of cervical cancer screening in women over 65 suggest that some older Americans are being unnecessarily screened.

More health data on these screenings in older women is needed to prevent potential harm and unnecessary costs, said the team from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the U.S. Centers for Dise...

Millions of U.S. women missed breast, cervical and colon cancer screenings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.

It found that compared to 2018, the number of women in 2020 who said they had breast cancer screening in the past year fell by 2.13 million (6%). The number of women who ...

Pap tests have long been used to detect cervical cancer early, but preliminary research suggests that cervical cells collected during those tests could also be used to catch other cancers, including deadly ovarian tumors.

Researchers found that by analyzing a particular molecular "signature" in cervical...

Just over a decade ago, the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare) made many common cancer screenings free. But a pair of new studies caution that when those free tests turn up signs of trouble, important follow-up tests may be too pricey for some patients.

The bigger concern: Some patients may forgo these expensive tests, even when they may prove lifesaving.

"With t...