The certified nurse midwives at Seasons Midwifery & Birth center are proud to offer routine cancer screening in our office.
While we recommend getting a wellness exam every year (see Wellness Physical Exams) cancer screenings don’t have to happen on the same schedule. We screen for cancer to find it early, even before there are symptoms or warning signs.
Cervical Cancer Screening – the Pap Smear
- Ages 21-29 every 3 years
- Ages 30-64 pap smear with HPV testing every 5 years
- Ages 65 and older may stop with a good history of normal tests
- See our blog post about pap smears for more information about this test
Breast Cancer Screening – recommendations may vary depending on cancer risk
- Clinical breast exams can be done every year if desired
- Ages 40-44 may start screening with a mammogram every year
- Ages 45-54 should get a mammogram every year
- Ages 55 + can switch to mammogram every other year if desired
- Learn more at CANCER.ORG
Ovarian Cancer Screening
- While there is no screening test like the pap smear for ovarian cancer, it may be detected early by having yearly pelvic examinations
- Learn more at CANCER.ORG
These screening tests can be performed at your annual wellness exam visit. Preventative health care is often covered at 100% by most insurance companies once per year. You should verify this coverage with your own carrier before making an appointment.
