Cervical screening in summary
- Remember an abnormal screening result rarely means cancer
- Between 90 and 93% of all screening results are negative
- Having regular cervical screening offers the best protection against developing cervical cancer
- Cervical screening is free and you should receive your invitation to attend for regular screening from your GP. (It is important that you let your GP know of any change of name or address)
- Each year around 4.2 million women in the UK are called for cervical screening. Cervical screening saves 4,500 lives [1]
- If you are feeling anxious beforehand ask a member of your family or friend to accompany you. Your GP or Practice nurse will be happy to talk through any anxieties that you have prior to your cervical screening appointment.
References
- Peto et al. (2004) The cervical cancer epidemic that screening has prevented in the UK. Lancet, 35, 249-56.
Last updated: 10/03/2011
