Screening Exams for Women

Cancer screening exams are medical tests done when you are healthy, with no signs of illness. They can find cancer early, when the chances for successfully treating the disease are greatest. MD Anderson recommends the following schedule of screening exams for women.

Ages 21-29

• Get a Pap test every three years, OR HPV test every five years beginning age 25, to check for cervical cancer.
• Consider a clinical breast exam every one to three years to check for breast cancer starting at age 25

Ages 30-39

• Consider a clinical breast exam every one to three years to check for breast cancer.
• Get a Pap test and HPV test every five years to check for cervical cancer and HPV.

Ages 40-45

• Get a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year to check for breast cancer.
• Get a Pap test and HPV test every five years to check for cervical cancer and HPV.

Age 45 and older

• Get a mammogram and clinical breast exam every year to check for breast cancer.
• Get a Pap test and HPV test every five years to check for cervical cancer and HPV. Talk to your doctor about whether you need screening after age 65.
• Get a colonoscopy every 10 years to check for colorectal cancer. Other options include ONE of the following:
  • virtual colonoscopy every five year
  • stool-based DNA test every three years
  • stool-based test every year