New guidance to help GPs identify symptoms and diagnose young women with cervical cancer early
News Release
New guidance to help GPs identify symptoms and diagnose young women with cervical cancer early, welcomed by cervical cancer charity
Jo’s Trust has welcomed new guidance that it is hoped will see a reduction in the numbers of younger women diagnosed and dying from cervical cancer.
The guidance was produced after a working group of the Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) was set up to look at the management of young women with gynaecological symptoms. The working group found that women that visited their GP with abnormal bleeding experienced delay in diagnosis because they did not receive a full pelvic examination.
The guidance provides GPs with an easy to follow algorithm to help in the management of these young women and re-emphasises existing NICE guidelines around gynaecological symptoms.
Health Minister Ann Keen said “Over the past year I have met with a number of young women who have had cervical cancer. I have been touched by their stories and have resolved to do everything I can to help prevent and treat cervical cancer in young women.
National Clinical Director for Cancer Sir Mike Richards said. “We have heard from a number of young women under the age of 25 who developed cervical cancer and they all had symptoms but did not receive a full pelvic examination to check for abnormalities in the cervix. To help GPs follow the correct procedure we have produced a pathway which maps the steps they need to take when women aged 20-24 present with post-coital bleeding and bleeding between menstruation.”
Director of cervical cancer charity Jo’s Trust, Robert Music, said “The impact of cervical cancer on a woman’s life and that of her family cannot be overstated. Sadly we hear too often of devastated parents losing daughters, of children losing mothers and husbands losing wives.
“And if they survive, they may have to go through invasive and painful treatments and lose their ability to have children. We hope this guideline will result in earlier recognition of symptoms, earlier diagnosis and a better outcome for women diagnosed with cervical cancer. “
-ends-
3rd March 2010
Jo’s Trust, 16 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3ED
Email: info@jotrust.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 20 7936 7498 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7936 7598 Website: www.jotrust.co.uk
Reg Charity No: 1076289
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Jo’s Trust – www.jotrust.co.uk – is a registered charity established in 1999 by James Maxwell in memory of his wife, Jo, who died of cervical cancer aged 40. Jo’s Trust is the UK’s only dedicated cervical cancer charity offering support and information for women, their families and friends affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities.
- Around 1,000 women die from cervical cancer in the UK each year with 2,800 newly diagnosed.
- Since its launch 20 years ago, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme has been highly successful, saving an estimated 4,500 lives every year.
- In the UK, girls in year 8 at school (aged 12 to 13) are offered the HPV vaccine. There is also a year 'catch up' programme in place to vaccinate girls aged between 13 and 18.
- Cervical cancer is predominantly caused by the Human Papilliomavirus (HPV) which can be caught as soon as you start having intimate relationships.
Further information:
For all Jo’s Trust enquiries please contact: Robert Music, Director: 020 7936 7498, 07980 720061, robert@jotrust.co.uk
Last updated: 20/04/2010
