Screening in women older than 75

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

This guideline is current until April 2025.

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