As a Biomedical Science student at University, I regularly learn about all sorts of medical conditions and diseases. One of the modules I study this year is The Biology of Disease which is basically about the aetiology and pathophysiology of different diseases. One lecture I had recently was on cancer and a brief talk of cancer screening was mentioned. The main point that stuck out to me in this lecture was the age that cervical cancer smears are begun to be taken. The earliest age is 25, that's right, 25! In my opinion (and a lot of other people's), this age is far too high for a woman to have their first cervical cancer screening test. I think it should be lowered to a more appropriate age of 18 or 21.
So what is a cervical cancer screening test? It is a method of checking the health of cervical cells and detecting any possible abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix (the entrance to the womb). It is not a test for cancer. Detecting and removing any abnormal cervical cells can prevent cervical cancer. Around 1 in 20 women will show some abnormal cervical cells but this definitely doesn't mean it is cancer. Most abnormal cells return to normal on their own, however sometimes they may turn cancerous and will have to be removed. All women between 25 and 64 are invited for the test every 3 years whereas women between 50 and 64 are invited every 5 years. The test is free for every woman registered to a GP between the ages of 25 and 64.
The test usually takes around 5 minutes, A small soft brush is used to take some of the cells on the cervix. It apparently isn't painful at all for most women so there is no excuse to not get screened. The cells are then sent off to a laboratory and examined under a microscope to determine whether there are any abnormal cells or not. If there are, treatment may be recommended to remove them or further tests may be done a few months down the line to see if the cells have returned to normal or not. If there are small abnormalities, then the sample is tested for HPV (the Human Papilloma Virus). If HPV is found in the sample, a colposcopy for further investigation may be done to decide on treatment. If there are a larger number of abnormalities then the sample is automatically further investigated using a colposcopy. A colposcopy is a way of looking at the cervix in detail using a magnifying instrument known as the colposcopy.
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is often the main cause of the changes to cervical cells. It is a family of common viruses that affect the skin as well as mucus membranes that line the body. Around 8 out of 10 people are infected with HPV at some point during their life but for most people, the virus leaves the body without any treatment. There are more than 100 strains of HPV with some strains classed as high risk and some classed as low risk.
12-13 year old girls are now offered a vaccination which can help in the protection against HPV (I remember having this vaccination on three separate occasions over several months). It is proved to have effective protection for most HPV strains for at least 8 years.
The aim of the cervical cancer screening test is to reduce the number of women diagnosed and those who die from cervical cancer - since the test was introduced in the 1980's, the number of cervical cancer cases has decreased by 7% each year. It is thought that around 75% of cervical cancers can be prevented if detected and treated early enough so the cervical cancer screening test is essential in every woman's life.
What are the statistics? Around 3000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the UK annually which amounts to 2% of all cancers detected in women. It is very rare for women under the age of 25 to be diagnosed with the disease, however there is still a chance which is why I believe the age should be lowered. It is most commonly diagnosed in women between the ages of 30 and 45 who are sexually active.
From research, cervical cancer is often wrongly diagnosed in women younger than 25 because changes in the cervix is common in those under 25. Most abnormalities will lead to unnecessary treatment and worry meaning screening tends to lead to more harm than good.
However, this may not be true for all women. There have been many stories where women younger than 25 have died from cervical cancer due to being denied a cervical cancer screening test because they were too young which I think is ridiculous. One of these people was Sophie Jones, a 19 year old who died from cervical cancer due to her being too young to be screened. Women under 25 can't even request a test. A family friend of Sophie Jones has set up a petition to try and lower the age of the first cervical cancer screening test to the age of 16. You can sign the petition here if you believe the age should be lowered which already has over 300 000 signatures.
Some women feel embarrassed about going to have a cervical cancer screening test but no woman should feel embarrassed as it is more than likely that every woman you know will have the test and surely if something as simple as a 5 minute test every few years that can potentially save your life is worth it, even if you do find it embarrassing?
Information taken from the NHS and Cancer Research UK websites. Click here and here for more information.
Do you believe the test should be lowered? Are you scared or embarrassed about having a test?