ArticleCancer cytopathology2026
Pap testing and high-risk HPV testing for women aged 65 years and older with surgical pathology follow-up.
Article in Cancer cytopathology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundCurrent professional guidelines recommend discontinuing Papanicolaou (Pap) test screening in women aged 65 years and older who have had adequate prior negative testing. However, limited data exist on Pap test performance and histologic outcomes in this population.
methodsSearches were performed for all Pap tests from women aged 65 years and older accessioned at a women's hospital between January 2023 and December 2024. Pap tests were performed using the liquid-based cytology ThinPrep test, and high-risk HPV testing was performed using Aptima high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) assays. Surgical pathology follow-up within 6 months was recorded. A Pearson χ
resultsIn total, 1536 women aged 65 years and older underwent Pap testing during the study period. The overall HPV-positivity rate was 24.2%. Abnormal Pap results (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance or worse) comprised 939 of 1536 cases (61.1%). Histologic follow-up was available for 402 cases. Lesions categorized as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or more severe disease were identified in 94 cases (23.3%), including 11 squamous cell carcinomas, three endocervical carcinomas, 40 CIN2/3 lesions, and 40 endometrial carcinomas. Notably, three of 11 squamous cell carcinomas (27.3%) and 12 of 40 CIN2/3 lesions (30%) were HPV-negative.
conclusionsThe abnormal Pap rate in women aged 65 years and older was high (61.1%), whereas HPV positivity remained low. CIN2 or more severe disease and endometrial lesions after negative HPV testing occurred at a substantial rate (33.8%). The rate for detecting atypical glandular cells was also elevated (3.0%), correlating with a significant number of endometrial carcinoma diagnoses. These findings underscore the need for additional research and suggest that continued screening with Pap and HPV cotesting may benefit older women.
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