Cervical Screening Awareness Week 21 - 27 April 2008, UK

Main Category: Cervical Cancer / HPV Vaccine
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 16 Apr 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Camden Primary Care Trust, supported by Jo's Trust, a cervical cancer charity, is spearheading a national Cervical Screening Awareness Week from the 21st to 27th April 2008.

The campaign is being launched, to raise awareness of cervical cancer and to ensure that women aged between 25 and 64 years know how important it is to attend their cervical screening appointment when they are invited.

Cervical cancer is the most preventable form of cancer, yet it is still the second biggest cancer killer of women aged 30-34 years in the UK. It is estimated that 40% of women under the age of 35 do not attend a regular smear test.

Pamela Morton, Director of Jo's Trust, said, "Jo's Trust is committed to cervical cancer prevention and Professor Julian Peto's research in 2004 highlighted the impact of screening on cervical cancer incidence and mortality, and I quote: "There is strong evidence that women who are screened regularly from a young age have much lower lifelong death rates than women who are first screened when they are older."¹ (Reference: ¹ http://www.thelancet.com, July 17 2004 Professor Julian Peto 'The cervical cancer epidemic that screening has prevented in the UK")

Early detection through screening prevents many cases of invasive cervical cancer, making it a cancer that fewer women have heard about. Younger women, in particular, simply do not know what it is or why they should attend for their smear test.

Dr Dawn Harper, Medical Journalist and Television Presenter, with special interest in women's health, commented, "It is important to attend every cervical screening appointment when invited routinely every 3 years, not just the one time. Regular smear tests really can save lives."

Twenty-eight year-old Marnie from Kent, who's getting married this year to her long-term partner, was thankful that she did attend her screening appointments as she was diagnosed with abnormal cells on her 3rd smear test appointment at her local GP's clinic. "I can't stress how important it is to attend your appointment," says Marnie, "If I hadn't attended, I wouldn't have been diagnosed and treated early. It may be uncomfortable, but for the sake of a 3-minute check-up it's certainly worth it for peace of mind. The alternative could be a lot worse."

Carmen, a 29-year-old woman from Lincoln, agrees, "I am always reluctant to attend my screening appointments, but am thankful that I did as my last appointment in January detected abnormal cells. I've just had a biopsy and am nervously waiting for the results. I imagine that, like myself, most women in this age group are not at all clear about HPV and the link with cervical cancer. Also, psychologically, the stigma I felt was attached to possibly having HPV, despite being in an 11-year relationship, is why I do not feel able to discuss it with my family at the moment."

Claire, 27, who lives in Nottingham, only attended her screening because she'd read in a magazine about '30 Things To do Before You're 30'. She was confused about HPV and had no idea that it could lead to cancer. Luckily, Claire did attend, because abnormal cells were found which, without treatment, could have led to cervical cancer. Claire's message is clear, "My 25-year-old sister only went for a screening because I nagged her to go. A lot of women fob it off, thinking it is just too embarrassing. I would urge all women to attend their screening appointment. Having a smear test could save your life."

In 2006/07 a total of 4.01 million women aged 25-64 years were invited for cervical screening in England, but nearly one million women did not attend. The numbers of non-attenders in London are especially high. There are currently 168,255 women in this age group, living in the capital, who have never been screened. ²(Reference:² Cervical Screening Programme: England 2006-2007, The Information Centre)

A viral marketing advert has been created to encourage young women to be screened. This novel, yet informative, concept uses young men to deliver an important message, urging women to attend their cervical screening appointments.

A special website - http://www.becervixsavvy.co.uk - has been set up, where further information on screening and cervical cancer can be found, including a link to the advert.

Maggie Luck, Public Health Screening Co-ordinator at Camden PCT, said, "We know that many women put their lives at risk by not attending for screening. It is a sad fact that many cases of cervical cancer could have been prevented through regular screening. We hope that this campaign will encourage young women to take positive action to get themselves screened and to be cervix savvy."

The Cervical Cancer Awareness Week culminates in a nationwide 3k Charity Walk on Sunday, 27 April, which has been set up by Jo's Trust and organised by supporters of the Trust throughout the country. Visit http://www.jotrust.co.uk for further information.

Notes

-- Women are invited for cervical screening from the age of 25 and will be regularly invited for a smear test every three years up to the age of 49. Women will then be invited every five years from 50 to 64 years.

-- Since its launch 20 years ago, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme has been highly successful, saving an estimated 4,500 lives every year. The programme has found 400,000 significant abnormalities of the cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer. The Cervical Screening Programme has become more effective since the introduction of Liquid Based Cytology (LBC). London completed its implementation of LBC in 2007 and uses the ThinPrep® Pap Test system as a new way of collecting and processing cervical cell samples.

-- The Cervical Screening Awareness campaign is supported by Cytyc, part of Hologic, a global leading women's healthcare company.

Useful website links:

http://www.becervixsavvy.co.uk
http://www.camdenpct.nhs.uk
http://www.jotrust.co.uk
http://www.thinprep.com