Australia on course to eliminate cervical cancer

AUSTRALIA is on track to eliminate cervical cancer in the next 20 years, making it the first country in the world to wipe out the disease.

A study in the ‘Lancet Public Health’ journal has shown that if vaccination and screening continue at their current level, cervical cancer rates will drop to less than six in 100,000 by 2022 and to below four in 100,000 by 2035. The current rate in Australia is seven cases per 100,000.

In 2007, Australia was the first country in the world to introduce routine vaccination for girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus which causes most forms of the cancer. The vaccine was introduced for teenage boys in 2013. Since then, vaccination and screening rates for cervical cancer have remained high, with 79pc of girls and 73pc of boys who turned 15 in 2016 being fully vaccinated against the disease.

Including boys in the vaccination programme has speeded up elimination of the disease by two years, the researchers say.

As well as high vaccination coverage, experts say the country’s screening programme is also behind the drop in the number of cases. Australia introduced a new five-yearly HPV cervical screening test for those aged 25-74 in 2017, replacing the old two-yearly test previously offered from ages 18-69 years.

The new test looks for the presence of HPV and is expected to lower cervical cancer cases and mortality by at least 20pc.

Researchers said that the findings “imply that the elimination of cervical cancer could be on the horizon for high-income countries”. They said that the disease could also be combated in low and middle-income countries.