Women have been scheduling routine Pap smears since the 1940s. The test is named after medical researcher Dr. George Papanicolaou who published a medical text in 1943 that detailed the benefits of studying cervical cells for precancerous changes.
Eve Medical of Miami offers quality health care services to residents in and around Miami, Florida. Our services include women’s health exams and routine preventive screening studies, including Pap smears.
Here’s why our team of family medicine specialists recommends you schedule a Pap smear today.
The American Cancer Society notes that cervical cancer was once the most common cause of cancer deaths for women in the United States. Researchers expect 4,280 cervical cancer deaths in 2022. That’s still too many but well under the 43,000 expected deaths from breast cancer in 2022. A Pap smear is arguably the most successful cancer screening tool available.
Abnormal cells detected on a Pap smear may be in the transition phase between healthy and cancerous. Discovering and removing these cells at this point is relatively easy and prevents the devastating effects of cervical cancer.
Procedures to remove abnormal cervical cells include freezing the targeted tissue with cryosurgery. Another choice is electrosurgery, which uses controlled heat to destroy the problematic tissue. You may experience some cramping with either, but both are generally well-tolerated.
Cervical cancer treatment is often most successful when the cancer is detected and treated in its earliest stages.
Your provider can sometimes remove small, early-stage cervical cancer with a cone biopsy. During this procedure, your surgeon removes a cone-shaped portion of cervical tissue, including underlying tissue layers, but the cervix otherwise remains intact.
Larger or more invasive cervical cancers usually require a hysterectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of treatments.
Labs can check cervical cells obtained via a Pap test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common cause of cervical cancer.
Although it’s generally part of a longer wellness exam, the Pap smear portion of your visit usually takes less than 10 minutes.
Call or use our online services to schedule a visit at Eve Medical of Miami for more information about our women’s wellness exams and Pap smears.
