Cervical Screening QA
Facts about Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer has become a rare disease because of the effectiveness of the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. It is important, however, for women to continue to attend so that this achievement is maintained and the numbers of cases of cancer reduce further. Each year around 2,800 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England and Wales and about 940 women die from the disease. Research estimates that up to 4500 lives will be saved each year in England by cervical screening.
Cervical Screening
Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a method of preventing cancer by detecting and treating early abnormalities which, if left untreated, could lead to cancer in a woman's cervix (the neck of the womb).
The first stage in cervical screening is to take a sample of cells from the cervix for analysis. A doctor or nurse inserts an instrument (speculum) to open the woman's vagina and uses a brush to sweep around the cervix. Most women consider the procedure to be only mildly uncomfortable. The brush is then rinsed in liquid solution. This process is called Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) and has replaced conventional cytology where smears were taken. The vial of fluid is then sent to the laboratory where it is spun and treated to remove any obscuring material, for example mucus or pus. A thin layer of the cells from the sample is deposited onto a slide. The slide is examined in the usual way under a microscope by a cytologist.
More information
Read more about the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
Who is eligible for cervical screening?
All women aged between 25 and 64 are automatically invited for screening. Those aged 25-49 are invited every 3 years and women aged 50-64 are invited every 5 years. In order to invite women, names are obtained from the lists held by GPs.
Colposcopy Study Day
Presentations from the recent study day are available to registered users here.