Can cervical cancer be prevented without a vaccine?

In most cases, yes, cervical cancer can be prevented even without a vaccine. Cervical cancer screening done according to American Cancer Society guidelines and with proper follow up will prevent most but not all cases of cervical cancer. Pap tests (with or without the HPV test) can find cervix cell changes early, before they become cervical cancer. These changed cervix cells can then be treated to keep them from becoming cancer.

When cancer screening guidelines are followed most, but not all cervical cancers are found at an early, curable stage. Most cervical cancers in the United States are diagnosed in women who have never had a Pap test, or who haven’t had a Pap test in many years.

To learn more about the American Cancer Society’s screening guidelines, see Cervical Cancer: Prevention and Early Detection.