Cervical cancer screening programme

Screening for cervical cancer saves lives. This article provides an overview of cervical screening programmes offered by the NHS. All four countries in the UK provide a cervical cancer screening programme. Cervical screening identifies apparently healthy women who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition; this then provides an opportunity for earlier treatment or better informed decisions. In some instances, the healthcare assistant and assistant practitioner (HCA and AP) may be needed in order to provide assistance with the screening procedure, offering the woman physical and psychological support. This article offers the reader an overview of the cervix, along with a brief description of signs and symptoms of cervical cancer.

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The characteristics of false negative cervical smears--implications for the UK cervical cancer screening programme

Journal of Clinical Pathology ◽

10.1136/jcp.52.5.358 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 52 (5) ◽

pp. 358-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

R. W. Baker ◽

J. P. O'Sullivan ◽

J. Hanley ◽

D. V. Coleman

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening ◽

Screening Programme ◽

False Negative ◽

Cervical Smears ◽

Cancer Screening Programme ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening Programme ◽

The Uk

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UK Cervical Cancer Screening Programme: Setting a Research Agenda

Journal of Medical Screening ◽

10.1177/096914139400100413 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 1 (4) ◽

pp. 249-254 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christina Davies ◽

Jackie Brown

Keyword(s):

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening ◽

Screening Programme ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Invasive Disease ◽

Hpv Dna ◽

Cancer Screening Programme ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening Programme ◽

The Uk

The UK national cervical cancer screening programme aims at reducing the incidence of and mortality from carcinoma of the cervix. It is generally agreed that high grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia should be treated aggressively, but the appropriate management strategies for women with lesser degrees of abnormality are uncertain because of the inability to distinguish lesions that are likely to progress to invasive disease from those that will regress spontaneously. The role of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the possible usefulness of HPV testing as a secondary screening tool in women with borderline or mild dyskaryosis is also unknown. This paper proposes an agenda for research into the uncertainties within the UK screening programme, suggesting that priority should be given to determining the most appropriate referral and management policies and the use of HPV DNA assay for women with borderline and mild dyskaryosis, so that those women at highest risk of developing invasive disease are treated. A randomised controlled trial is needed. The practical and methodological difficulties which would need to be considered and the need to convene a multidisciplinary research team to develop and implement the trial are highlighted.

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