Bupa says early detection of pre-cancerous cells is 'vitally important'
Women are being urged to attend tests to assess the risk of cervical cancer, as figures emerged this week suggesting that almost a third of the female population have never been for any type of health screening.
Almost a third (29%) of more than 1,000 women surveyed for Bupa by Ipsos MORI say they have never been for any type of health screening. Bupa, which released the figures to mark Cervical Cancer Prevention Week (22-28 January), said that this suggests that many women are foregoing tests which could prove vital in detecting abnormal, pre-cancerous cells which may lead to cervical cancer.
At present, women between the ages of 25 and 64 are eligible for a free cervical screening test, paid for by the NHS, every three to five years. Meanwhile, a cervical smear test is also one of the tests included in Bupa’s female health assessment.
While around 2,900 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year, deaths from the disease having fallen over the last 25 years, precisely because of large numbers of women undergoing cervical screenings, Bupa said.
However, the provider warned that many women are put off going for a screening owing to a lack of information on what it involves and anxiety about dealing with abnormal results. Dr Katrina Herren, medical director, Bupa Health and Wellbeing, said early detection of pre-cancerous cells is “vitally important” in preventing cervical cancer.
Last year, a survey for Jo’s Trust, a charity, suggested that young women are missing the potentially life-saving cancer test because they find it difficult to take time off work.
Almost a third (32%) of women have missed or delayed a cervical screening appointment, according to the poll of 2,467 women. More than a third of those eligible for cervical cancer screening who work and have missed or delayed appointments said that they did not find it easy to leave work in order to attend the appointment. More than a quarter (26%) said they would be more encouraged to attend if their company was more flexible and they did not have to take holiday for an appointment. More than a third (35%) said that if their GP surgery opening times had been more flexible it would have encouraged them or even ensured they attended those appointments.
Almost one in three (30%) of women aged 25-34 that have missed or delayed appointments and work said they always book holiday to attend appointments because they are too embarrassed to talk to their employers.
Meanwhile, a report released towards the end of last year by the US-based think tank the Commonwealth Fund suggested that five-year survival rates for cervical cancer is lower in the UK than in developed countries and that care varies across the country.
Source; HIMAG 24/01/12
