New studies suggest changes to cervical cancer screening

Two separate studies have been published which recommend the current method for cervical cancer screening be changed.

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London found cervical cancer screening intervals could be extended to five years for women aged 30 and over if the primary screening method was human papillomavirus (HPV) testing instead of the pap smear.

The research, published in the British Journal of Cancer, found HPV tests are “very accurate” in identifying early signs of cervical cancer, showing better detection of serious abnormalities than current cytology screening in women aged 30 and over.

This was corroborated by a separate study published in the British Medical Journal from the Finnish Cancer Registry, which showed that HPV screening detects more cervical severe pre-cancerous lesions than conventional cervical screening.

Cervical cancer affects around 2,800 women each year in the UK and is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through early detection of pre-cancerous cells.