Newport News, Va. – Regular medical screenings not only provide peace of mind, but they can also identify problems before they start. That’s why Riverside Health System’s Cancer Care Center and Brentwood Medical Center have teamed up to offer free pap smears and breast screenings for women age 21 and older.
The free screenings will be offered on Thursday, Jan. 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Brentwood Medical Center, located at 10510 Jefferson Avenue in Newport News.
Those interested in attending can call 1-800-520-7006 to register in advance.
Walk-ins are welcome until 6 p.m.
Created by George Papanicolaou in the 1940s, the pap smear is a gynecological procedure used to test for cervical cancer in women. Prior to this discovery, the number of cervical cancer deaths had reached 35,000 per year – making it the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the United States. Since pap smears became a routine screening, that number has decreased to 4,000 per year.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends women between the ages of 21 and 29 have a pap smear every three years and that women age 30 to 65 have one every five years.
Having a regular pap smear not only helps identify cervical cancer early when it is most treatable, but it can also detect changes in cells that that suggest cancer may develop in the future.
Women will also have access to breast screenings, which help detect early signs of breast cancer.
Published: January 23, 2020