Five-yearly cervical screening is safe, study reveals

Researchers at King’s College London analysed data from the NHS cervical screening programme and found that cervical screenings can be offered once every five years without increasing the risk of cancer. 

A study of 1.3 million women in England revealed that smear tests could be extended to five years instead of three.

The NHS uses more accurate testing methods that primarily detect the human papillomavirus (HPV), responsible for the majority of cancer cases. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 95 per cent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV.

The new screening method used within the NHS means that samples are first checked for HPV, this way preventing cancer early on without having to be screened as often.

In England, women aged between 25 to 49 are invited for cervical screening every three years and those aged 50 to 64 every five years. However, the recent study published in The British Medical Journal found that the new screening method would allow all women to go for a smear test only once every five years.

“These results are very reassuring,” Dr Matejks Rebolj, the lead author of the study, said to The Times newspaper. “They build on previous research that shows that following the introduction of HPV testing for cervical screening, a five-year interval is at least as safe as the previous three-year interval.

“Changing to five-yearly screening will mean we can prevent just as many cancers as before, while allowing for fewer screens.”

In 2008 the NHS launched a HPV vaccination programme for girls between 12 and 13 years old which was then extended to schoolboys. Other changes in cervical screens have also contributed to cancer prevention which led experts to believe that soon cervical cancer could become rare.

Statistics from Cancer Research UK have shown that there are approximately 3,200 new cases of cervical cancer every year with the highest incidence rates being in the 30 to 34 age group.

To access more information and support, visit Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.