Cancer screening is a vital part of women’s health care.
We offer routine screening for:
- Breast Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
- Cervical Cancer
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vaginal Cancer
- Endometrial cancer
Pap Test
The Pap Test is recommended for most women who are 21 or older at regular intervals according to ACS guidelines. The Pap Test is done as part of a routine pelvic exam. Your healthcare provider uses a small speculum to gently open the vagina and obtain cells from the cervix with a small spatula. A small brush is also used to obtain cells from the cervical canal. These cells are then analyzed in the laboratory. In some cases, the cells are also tested for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Results are usually available within two weeks and will be sent to you via the patient portal, a letter or phone call.
Back to Screening
At the start of the pandemic, Asheville Women’s Medical Center made a decision to delay routine mammograms to limit exposure to the Corona virus. This was also the case across the country. As a result, there was a major decrease in the percentage of women who had appointments for breast cancer screening during this time. The National Cancer Institute recently predicted a higher percentage of people in the United States will die in the next decade from breast cancer because of delayed screening due to COVID-19.¹
Asheville Women’s Medical Center is Back to Screening and we are encouraging women to schedule their annual mammograms today!
¹ Sharpless NE. COVID-19 and cancer. Science. 2020 Jun 19;368(6497):1290. doi:10.1126/science.abd3377
