New figures show drop in screening numbers - leaving more lives at risk
New figures out today show a drop in screening numbers - leaving more women putting themselves at risk from a largely preventable disease.
The ‘Jade Goody effect’, which saw cervical screening rates rise for the first time in almost a decade last year, has not been maintained with an NHS Information Centre report today showing only 3.3 million women aged 25-64 were tested by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme in 2009-10 compared to the previous year’s peak of 3.6 million.
Robert Music, Director of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK's only charity dedicated to women and those close to them affected by cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer said: “We saw a surge in women going for screening after Jade Goody died. A recent study showed that the publicity around her illness encouraged numbers to go up. Sadly that hasn’t been sustained. Many women have taken on board Jade’s message but I am concerned that there is a worrying downward trend with thousands of women ignoring their screening invitation.”
The number of women screened at least once in the past five years has remained the same at just under 80%, with an increase in those aged 25-49. "This is positive but even though coverage has gone up for women aged 25-29, the figures seem to suggest more than one in three women are still not going for a test, which could mean the difference between life and death. And in women aged 55-59 we have seen coverage fall below 80% for the first time in ten years. Each day in the UK around three women die from cervical cancer but this is a largely preventable disease and screening has a massive part to play in that," said Robert Music.
“Today’s figures highlight the vital need to step up targeted campaigns to encourage more women to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of cervical cancer. It is tragic to think women are ignoring the invitation for a test that takes less than five minutes but which could save their lives."
For more information
Contact Elizabeth Udall, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, on 07515 852690 or elizabethudall@btinternet.com
Notes for Editors
- Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust www.jostrust.org.uk is the UK’s only charity dedicated to offering support and information for women, families and friends affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities
- Approaching 1,000 women die from cervical cancer in the UK each year with around 2,800 newly diagnosed
- The Warwick Medical School research, Media coverage and public reaction to a celebrity cancer diagnosis was published in the Journal of Public Health in September 2010.
- Cervical screening figures had been steadily falling since 2002 but NHS Information Centre statistics revealed that the numbers of women aged 25-64 who underwent screening increased by 400,000 in 2008/9.
- The NHS cervical screening programme saves an estimated 4,500 lives every year in England
Last updated: 21/10/2010
