Vaginal cancer secondary prevention
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Overview
There is no validated secondary prevention for HPV-associated vaginal cancer beyond the Pap smear at the cervix.
Screening
The widespread introduction of the Papanicolaou test, or pap smear for cervical cancer screening has been credited with dramatically reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in developed countries.[1] The pap smear suggests the presence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (premalignant changes in the cervix) before a cancer has developed, allowing for further workup. Recommendations for how often a Pap smear should be done vary from once a year to once every five years. The American Cancer Society recommends that cervical cancer screening should begin approximately three years after the onset of vaginal intercourse and/or no later than twenty-one years of age.[2] If premalignant disease or cervical cancer is detected early, it can be treated relatively noninvasively, and without impairing fertility.