Blue Review
A newsletter for contracting institutional and professional providers

January 2021

January is Cervical Cancer Screening Month: Talk to Your Patients and Close HEDIS® Gaps

During January, Cervical Cancer Screening Month, you may want to inform your female patients about the importance of cervical cancer screening. You may also want to review our Women’s Health tip sheet to help close Health Care Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) care gaps. 

According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2020 nearly 14,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed in the U.S., and just over 4,000 women died from cervical cancer. Screening tests can detect pre-cancerous changes to the cervix, as well as detect cervical cancer early when the prognosis is better.1

Since certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV) infections are high risk for causing pre-cancers and cancers of the cervix, HPV screening also aids in early detection and treatment of cervical abnormalities and cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 14 million people become infected with HPV each year.2 The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine vaccination against HPV at age 11 or 12 years, though vaccination can start as early as age 9. The vaccination is given as a series of either two or three doses, depending on the age the patient received the initial vaccination. ACIP recommends vaccination for everyone through age 26 years if individuals were not previously adequately vaccinated.3

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening for cervical cancer every 3 years with cervical cytology alone in women aged 21 to 29 years. For women aged 30 to 65 years, the USPSTF recommends screening every 3 years with cervical cytology alone, every 5 years with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing alone, or every 5 years with hrHPV testing in combination with cytology (cotesting). The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women younger than 21 years. The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women who have had a hysterectomy with removal of the cervix and do not have a history of a high-grade precancerous lesion (i.e., cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] grade 2 or 3) or cervical cancer. The USPSTF recommends against screening for cervical cancer in women older than 65 years who have had adequate prior screening and are not otherwise at high risk for cervical cancer.4,5

The American Cancer Society and CDC has provided these helpful tips6,7

  • Complete Pap tests during regularly scheduled well woman visits, sick visits, urine pregnancy tests, urinary tract infection and chlamydia/sexually transmitted infection screenings.
  • Request to have results of Pap tests sent to you if done at another provider’s office.
  • Discuss HPV vaccination with patients as part of their preventive care visits.
  • Provide education to your patients that:
    • Cervical cancer is highly preventable through screening and HPV vaccination.
    • Cervical cancers usually take years to develop. If you get screened every 3 or 5 years, your chance of developing cervical cancer in the next few years is very low
    • Early on, cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms, so it is important to be screened regularly. Treatment for cervical cancer is most effective when the cancer is found early.
  • Encourage your patients to contact their health plan to learn about potential transportation benefits that may be available.

Additional resources:

1PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Cervical Cancer Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated 05/13/2020. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/hp/cervical-treatment-pdq. Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination & Cancer Prevention. Reviewed March 17, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/index.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. HPV Vaccine Recommendations. Reviewed March 17, 2020. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/hpv/hcp/recommendations.html. Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

4BCBSIL 2020-2021 Preventive Care Guidelines. Available at: https://www.bcbsil.com/pdf/clinical/preventive_health_care_guidelines.pdf. Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

5U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Cervical Cancer August 2018. Available at: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/cervical-cancer-screening.  Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Get the Facts About Gynecologic Cancer. 2017.  Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/knowledge/pdf/cdc_gyn_comprehensive_brochure.pdf. Accessed Dec. 7, 2020.

7American Cancer Society, Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines, 2020. https://www.cancer.org/health-care-professionals/american-cancer-society-prevention-early-detection-guidelines/cervical-cancer-screening-guidelines.html

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.