Self-testing kits for cervical cancer could result in one million more life-saving tests being undertaken by NHS patients, according to a recent study by King’s College London. The results have been called “fantastic” by senior consultants working in the field. The kits are not dissimilar to Covid tests, in that samples are taken from the patient and sent to the lab for analysis. The use of the kits has been welcomed by the NHS, which is now considering adopting the programme.
Around 3,000 new diagnoses of cervical cancer are made every year in the UK. However, cervical cancer screening rates have been in decline for the past 20 years, principally because roughly 30% of women offered screening do not take it up, often describing the procedure as uncomfortable or unpleasant. The YouScreen trial, which tested the self-testing kits, was the first attempt to introduce self-testing into the cervical cancer screening programme. Women who were six months overdue for testing and visited their GP or who were 15 months overdue were offered a kit.
The kit involves using a long cotton-wool bud to sample the lining of the vagina for about 20 seconds. The sample is then sent to the laboratory to test for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is responsible for the majority of cervical cancer diagnoses. If the result is positive, the individual is invited in for further testing. Overall, 56% of people completed tests offered to them by their GP, while 13% completed tests at home. If these results were replicated on a national level, it is estimated that one million extra women would receive a screening during the three-year cycle.
Self-testing for cervical cancer is already available in countries including Denmark, Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands. The HPV vaccine is also proving very effective in reducing the incidence of cervical cancer – by around 90%. It is thought that women who received the vaccine when young may only require between one and three cervical cancer screenings during their lifetime
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