Smear test can save your life

WOMEN in Oldham are being urged not to ignore their cervical cancer test call-ups as new NHS figures show screening rates have declined.

As part of Cervical Screening Awareness Week, which starts on Monday, The Eve Appeal, the UK’s only gynaecological cancer charity, is raising awareness and encouraging women to attend their cervical smear test.

More than one in five women are not attending their tests when invited, with only 78.8 per cent recorded as screened adequately in 2014, compared with 80.6 per cent in 2004.

For many women the test results show that everything is fine; but for around one in 20 women, the test shows changes in cells.

In most cases, these changes are caused by a common infection called human papillomavirus (HPV), andt preventative measures such as vaccinations can help stop the virus spreading.

In some cases, the abnormal cells need to be removed so that they cannot become cancerous.

Cervical cancer can affect women of all ages with nine women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer every day and three women dying from the disease.

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of The Eve Appeal a charity that champions early detection and screening for women’s cancers, said: “The earlier cervical cancer is diagnosed, the better the outcome will be, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms and vital to attend your screening appointment.

“Cervical cancer is a disease that we have effective methods to predict for and prevent — women must use them.

“Together we can help save the lives of thousands of women in the UK by simply raising awareness of this cancer and asking all those women we care about to ‘Think Cervical’ for Cervical Screening Awareness Week in June.”

For more information on cervical cancer or Cervical Screening Awareness Week please visit www.eveap peal.org.uk