According to Robert Shmerling, M.D., Harvard Health Publications, there is a fine line between what can be a cancerous cell and a benign cell. In his article, Cancer's Fine Line, Dr. Shmerling states that even trained pathologists can have trouble determining whether or not the abnormality is cancerous.

My mom just asked me a great question, that I'm not sure what the answer is! While I'm researching, I thought I'd ask you all as well.

My mom had a hysterectomy many years ago, and was just told by her doctor today that the "new protocol" is that "pap smears are no longer needed".

Is this an age-related thing (my mom is mid-60's) or a hysterectomy-related new protocol? She still has her cervix, and since the pap smear tests for abnormal cells or changes in the cervix, why the "new protocol"?

Have you had an HPV test with your annual Pap test? I recently found out that the Pap test misses women with precancerous cells 15-50% of the time. Combining the HPV Test with the Pap for women over 30 increases accuracy to nearly 100%. Here's a quick clip about the test. You can ask for it along with your pap-- you don't have to do anything extra. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=624S8eU_9...

Are the HPV test, pap smear and gardasil vaccine covered by my insurance?

How often should a women get a pap smear?