According to a report by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), millions of women throughout the U.S. are being given unnecessary Pap tests, costing hundreds of millions of dollars.

The report, which appeared in the August issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, noted that women who have had hysterectomies that include removal of the cervix normally do NOT require Pap test screening.

Except for women who have a history of cancer or pre-cancer of the cervix, these women are considered to be at low risk for cervical cancer and do not need Pap smears, the researchers explained.

The research was conducted by Dr. Mona Saraiya of the CDC and colleagues, who found that about 75% of the women studied had been given a Pap test in the preceding three years -- even those who had had a hysterectomy.

While about 21% of all American women, have had hysterectomies, only about 10% were on women who had abnormal or cancerous cervixes. The researchers therefore concluded that about 85% of the Pap smears performed on women with hysterectomy were unnecessary.

These unnecessary procedures cost between $125 million and $168 million a year. But the true cost goes far beyond the dollar amounts.

"The risks of having an unnecessary Pap test are not trivial," Dr. Saraiya stressed. "The risks include unnecessary investigation, associated anxiety and further diagnostic workup after a false-positive screening result."

SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology 2001;98:269-278.