Cervical cancer could be eliminated says NHS England

Hundreds of lives will be spared every year in England thanks to a more sensitive cervical screening test rolled out as part of the NHS Long Term Plan | via NHS England

NHS experts said that there is “potential” to eliminate cervical cancer completely thanks to the change in primary test within the NHS Cervical Cancer Screening Programme, combined with the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine.

The new and more sensitive test now looks for traces of high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer. Any tests that are HPV positive are then checked for abnormal changes of the cervix.

HPV is a group of viruses with more than 100 types, but 14 types can cause cervical cancer as well as some head and neck cancers. It means that any sign of infection will be spotted at an earlier stage before it could potentially develop into cancer.

Since the beginning of December, every part of the country has had the new way of screening in place. There are 2,500 new cases of cervical cancer in England every year but research says that a quarter of those could be prevented with this new way of testing.

The introduction is part of the NHS Long Term Plan’s ambitions to catch tens of thousands more cancers earlier, when it is easier to treat and the chance of survival is higher.

Full detail “Potential to eliminate” cervical cancer in England thanks to NHS Long Term Plan  | NHS England