How a Pap Smear Can Save Your Life

Some illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease don’t have a cure. But we’re winning the fight against reproductive cancers in women, and one in particular: cervical cancer. That’s because of one important test, the Pap smear. 

Our board-certified internal medicine physicians at Comprehensive Primary Care administer Pap smears, also called Pap tests, to our women patients at recommended intervals. It’s a test that can save your life. Isn’t that a great reason to schedule and keep your appointment for your annual physical exam? 

The Pap test saves lives – when it’s administered

The American Medical Association began recommending the Pap test in 1960. Prior to Pap tests, cervical cancer often went undetected until it was too late to save the patients. Cervical cancer used to be a leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States.

Thankfully, that’s not the case today. Cervical cancer is considered preventable and curable, because of the efforts of Dr. Georgios Nikolaou Papanicolaou, a Greek doctor who spent decades developing the Pap smear. He found that precancerous cells could be identified via a microscope. 

This doctor’s discovery changed not only medical history, but also ultimately reversed the trend of cervical cancer deaths for American women. Although the number of cervical cancer cases has fallen greatly in the United States, some 4,360 women die from the disease each year.  

The Pap smear is a medically approved and recommended screening test that’s usually performed along with a pelvic exam. Women aged 21-65 should get a Pap smear at specific intervals. 

Your doctor lets you know when it’s time for your Pap smear. How often you should get one varies depending on your medical history and whether you’ve ever had an abnormal Pap smear. 

What happens during a Pap smear 

You lie on a table with a pillow under your head. Your doctor uses a tool called a speculum to open your vagina so they can collect a cell sample. We send the sample to a lab.

 A normal result means there’s no signs of cervical cancer. An abnormal result points to some changes in the cells that could be precancerous. Keep in mind, however, that abnormal cells could also simply indicate an infection.

Take the Pap test at specified intervals to prevent cervical cancer 

Getting your Pap smear at the recommended intervals can detect precancerous cells before they become cancerous. If your test reveals that you have early cervical cancer, your chances of successful treatment rise greatly. 

Although other medical advances have occurred since the introduction of the Pap test, it’s still considered the most successful screening test ever introduced for preventing serious malignancies.

Call Comprehensive Primary Care or schedule an appointment online today if you’re overdue for this potentially life-saving exam. We have convenient offices in Lawrenceville and Suwanee, Georgia.