Cancer Screening and Prevention Guidelines

Screening guidelines vary based on individual risk and family history. Talk with your healthcare provider to determine if you should start screening at age 40 and whether or not you should screen every year or every other year.

• Women ages 21-29 should receive a Pap test every 3 years

• Women ages 30-65 should speak with their healthcare provider about which option is best for them:

  • Pap test every 3 years if results are normal (or)
  • HPV test every 5 years if results are normal (or)
  • HPV test and Pap test every 5 years if results are normal
• Women 66+ should consult with their healthcare provider

• Screening should begin at age 45 and continue through age 75

  • Talk with a healthcare provider about which test is right for you:

    • Colonoscopy
    • At-home stool testing (e.g., FIT, FIT-DNA/Cologuard®, HSgFOBT)
    • Computed tomography (CT) colonoscopy

The HPV vaccine is the only vaccine that helps protect against cancers and diseases caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).

• Children ages 9-14 should receive two doses 6-12 months apart or three doses if first two were administered less than 5 months apart
• Those ages 15-26 should receive three doses; schedule is 0, 1-2, and 6 months
• Those ages 27-45 are able to be vaccinated but require a shared decision-making discussion with their healthcare provider

Adults ages 50-80 should get an annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan lung cancer screening if they:

• Currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years
• Have at least a 20-pack-year history (number of packs per day multiplied by number of years smoked = pack-year history)

• Men ages 40-54 should consider screening if higher risk (e.g., African ancestry and family history of certain types of cancer)
• For men 55-69, the decision to be screened is an individual one; healthy men may be eligible for screening based on conversations with their healthcare provider
• Screening is not recommended for men ages 70+