Screening in women older than 75

GUIDELINE UPDATES - This guideline was last updated 01/07/2022

This guideline is current until April 2025. Click the link below to access the latest guidelines.

Within the renewed NCSP, women aged 75 years and older are eligible to undergo a cervical screening test if they have never participated in screening or have not had a screening test in the past 5 years.[1]

Recommendations

NCSP recommendation

REC6.24: Women aged 75 years or older who request screening
Women who are 75 years or older who have never had a cervical screening test, or have not had one in the previous five years, may request a test and can be screened. The sample can be clinician-collected or self-collected, according to the woman’s choice.

NCSP recommendation

REC6.2 Clinician-collected cervical screening samples
A short course of topical oestrogen therapy could be considered in post-menopausal women, people experiencing vaginal dryness, anyone who has previously had poor sample pickup, or trans men who opt for a clinician-collected sample, prior to collecting the sample, for example daily for a period of at least 2 weeks, ceasing 1-2 days prior to the appointment. The reason for this should be explained (to reduce discomfort from the speculum and to improve the diagnostic accuracy of LBC).

Note: recommendation numbering changed Feb 2021, this was previously REC 6.18

References

Standing Committee on Screening. National Cervical Screening Policy March 2016.; 2016 Available from: http://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Cervical_cancer/Prevention/Draft_NCSP_Policy.

WEBSITE UPDATES - This website was last updated 01/07/2022