Comparison of cervical cancer screening among women with and without hysterectomies: a nationwide population-based study in Korea

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer screening is not recommended for women who underwent hysterectomy with no history of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) of grade 2 or higher. We aimed to determine the cervical cancer screening rate in Korean women who underwent hysterectomies and compare it to that in women with intact uteri. METHODS: We used data from the 2014–2016 Korean National Cancer Screening Survey; 6807 women aged 30–74 years were included in the study. Participants were asked about their experiences with cervical cancer screening, hysterectomy status, and other variables associated with cancer screening. RESULTS: The screening rates among women who have undergone a hysterectomy vs. those who have not during the past 2 years were 61.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 58.8–64.9) and 64.7% (95% CI, 64.1–65.3), respectively. Among younger women (30–44 years) and women with a family history of cancer, those with hysterectomies showed a higher cervical cancer screening rate than those without (77.8% vs. 57.1% and 75.0% vs. 67.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Despite available evidence and clinical recommendations, a considerable number of Korean women who no longer have a cervix continue to undergo unnecessary cervical cancer screening. It is necessary to identify the exact underlying causes for this phenomenon, and systematic efforts are required to prevent unnecessary screening for women who have undergone a hysterectomy. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4723-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.