Gynaecological oncology: cervical screening: practice question

A OBG question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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OBG · Gynaecological oncology: cervical screening

Sample item

Under the Indian national programme for prevention and control of NCDs, what is the recommended screening for cervical cancer in women aged 30 to 65 years?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Visual inspection with acetic acid every 5 years

National guidelines recommend VIA (or Pap smear or HPV testing where available) for women aged 30 to 65 years, repeated at 5-year intervals if negative. Positive women are referred for colposcopy and biopsy. Acetowhite areas indicate possible CIN.

Option by option

  • A. Screening only after symptoms

    Screening aims to detect disease before symptoms.

  • B. Annual Pap smear from age 18

    Annual Pap smears from 18 are not recommended.

  • C. Visual inspection with acetic acid every 5 years (correct)

    Correct. VIA every 5 years is the programme recommendation.

  • D. Colposcopy every year

    Colposcopy is a diagnostic, not a screening, tool.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is C, Visual inspection with acetic acid every 5 years. National guidelines recommend VIA (or Pap smear or HPV testing where available) for women aged 30 to 65 years, repeated at 5-year intervals if negative.

Why is "Screening only after symptoms" not the answer?

Screening aims to detect disease before symptoms.

Why is "Annual Pap smear from age 18" not the answer?

Annual Pap smears from 18 are not recommended.

Why is "Colposcopy every year" not the answer?

Colposcopy is a diagnostic, not a screening, tool.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Gynaecological oncology: cervical screening in OBG. Positive women are referred for colposcopy and biopsy. Acetowhite areas indicate possible CIN.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Gynaecological oncology: cervical screening?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.