Cervical cancer ‘could be eliminated’ thanks to jab and better screening

CERVICAL cancer has the potential to be eliminated through upgraded screening and jabs for children, NHS experts say.

The health service has completed its roll-out of a new screening method which sees cervical samples first checked for the human papilloma virus (HPV).

HPV causes almost all cases of cervical cancer and can also cause cancers in other genital areas. It is a common infection spread through close skin-to-skin contact, often during sex.

Professor Peter Johnson, the NHS’ national clinical director for cancer, said the new HPV cervical screening test “will save lives”.

He added: “It is vitally important that all eligible people attend for their screening appointments, to keep themselves safe. Combined with the success of the HPV vaccine for both boys and girls, we hope that cervical cancer can be eliminated altogether by the NHS in England.

“The chances of surviving cancer are at a record high, but there is always more we can do, as we continue to deliver our long-term plan.”

Until now, cervical screening samples have been examined and those that showed possible cell changes were then tested for HPV.

But this has now being switched around, with cells first tested for HPV infection, and only those that have the virus examined for abnormal cells.

This means that any sign of infection can be spotted at an earlier stage before cancer goes on to develop.

Research has also shown the new method picks up far more cases of pre-cancerous lesions than the old one. There are 2,500 new cases of cervical cancer in England every year, and a quarter of these could be prevented with the new method of testing.

Alongside the new screening, all 12 and 13-year-olds in school years eight are offered a vaccine to protect against HPV.

Currently, the national NHS HPV vaccination programme uses the vaccine Gardasil, which protects against four types of HPV that cause most cases of cancer.

Last year, researchers said cervical cancer could be effectively eliminated in most countries around the world by the end of the 21st century thanks to the jab and improved screening.

Robert Music, the chief executive of Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said: “The day that cervical cancer is a disease of the past is one we should be aiming to get to as soon as possible.”