WASHINGTON — New research out is showing just how important it is for women to get cervical cancer screenings throughout life, not just during childbearing years.
A new study, led by a researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, shows that women between 65 and 69 are susceptible to cervical cancer. Typically, women in this age group aren’t screened for the cancer if they haven’t received abnormal test results in years past.
The study also says that black women have higher rates of cervical cancer, and that overall, cervical cancer rates are higher in the United States than what’s been previously reported.
To obtain accurate results, researchers recalculated the number of cervical cancer cases by removing women who have had their cervix removed during a hysterectomy. They are no longer at risk for the disease.
As a result, cervical cancer cases for women between 65 and 69 was 84 percent higher than the uncorrected rate, going from 14.8 cases per 100,000 women to 27.4 cases per 100,000 women.
For black women between 65 and 69, it was 53 cases per 100,000 women compared to the uncorrected rate of 23.5 cases per 100,000 women.
For white women between 65 and 69, it was 24.7 cases up from the uncorrected rate of 13.5 cases per 100,000 women.
E. Albert Reece, vice president of medical affairs at the University of Maryland, says the new research shows how important it is for women to get cervical cancer screenings throughout life, not just during childbearing years.
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