Smear Test News and Research

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Fewer young women going for regular pap smears

According to new research findings, the number of young women going for a regular Pap smear test is dwindling. This test is a simple procedure that looks at the cervical cells and can detect cervical cancer early on. In 2001-02, 67% Australian women aged 20-69 went for a Pap smear, a number that went down to 60% in 2008-09. These are the lowest rates in the decade.

24 Aug 2010

HPV test recommended for national cervical cancer screening programmes

Two studies suggest that testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the major cause of cervical cancer - could be used in national cervical cancer screening programmes.

4 May 2010

HPV test could help predict risk of cervical cancer, but more research needed

Testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the major cause of cervical cancer - may not help to identify women who are at risk of the disease, a new UK study suggests.

24 Mar 2010

HPV testing could be used as standard method of cervical screening for women, say Italian scientists

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing could be used as the standard method of cervical screening for women aged 35 years or older, as it seems to prevent more invasive cases of the disease than cytology screening alone, Italian scientists have said.

20 Jan 2010

HPV screening and vaccination programmes could eradicate cervical cancer

Cervical cancer could be eradicated within the next 50 years if countries implement national screening programmes based on detection of the human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes the disease, together with vaccination programmes against the virus, according to a cervical cancer screening expert.

24 Sep 2009

Should cervical screening stop at age 50?

It is not consistent to stop screening women after age 50 because the risk of cervical cancer - even after several negative smear results - is similar to that at younger ages, concludes a study published on bmj.com.

23 Apr 2009

Refined Pap smear test more accurate

Italian researchers have found that a new method of testing for cervical cancer is more accurate than a pap smear and also picks up more dangerous lesions.

10 Sep 2008

Link between HPV and cervical cancer

Scientists in the United States have carried out a review of research to determine the link between persistent HPV (human papillomavirus) infection and cervical cancer.

25 May 2008

Alarming confusion about cancer screening

Less than one in five people can name the three cancers screened for by the NHS screening programme - new figures reveal today.

28 Feb 2008

Music takes stress out of colposcopy

If a cervical smear test reveals abnormal cells the woman will be offered colposcopy, a technique that involves a doctor studying the cervix with a special microscope.

18 Jul 2007

TB jet traveller case...just how competent are U.S. authorities at protecting the public?

In the case of the jet flying traveler with TB a great deal of criticism has been leveled at U.S. authorities.

7 Jun 2007

Giving stop smoking advice with smear tests could save extra lives

Giving women who smoke advice on quitting when they go for cervical smear tests could be an effective way of saving even more lives - according to new research published in the British Journal of Cancer. If introduced, the measure could benefit hundreds of thousands of women every year.

11 Apr 2007

Study reveals treatment and screening inequalities for patients with mental health problems

Patients with mental health problems may not be receiving the appropriate screening or treatments for illnesses including heart disease and stroke, a report from The University of Nottingham has shown.

7 Dec 2005

Can vegetables could help to prevent cervical cancer?

Researchers in South Wales are investigating the possibility that a chemical called Diindolylmethane (DIM), which is usually found in broccoli, sprouts and cabbage, could help to prevent cervical cancer.

27 Jan 2005

Screening tests find colorectal cancer in its earliest stages when it can be treated more successfully

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. In 2004, it’s estimated that CRC caused nearly 57,000 deaths.

18 Jan 2005

Regular smear tests rather than colposcopy is the best way of monitoring low-grade cervical lesions

Results of a US study in this week’s issue of THE LANCET suggest that regular smear tests rather than colposcopy is the best way of monitoring low-grade cervical lesions among adolescents and young women.

5 Nov 2004

Women still not checking for breast cancer

One woman in five never checks her breasts for signs of breast cancer and women in London are the most complacent according to new research from Macmillan Cancer Relief as Breast Cancer Awareness Month draws to a close.

25 Oct 2004

Cervical cancer screening in Northern Ireland falls short

Only 72 per cent of women within the target age group in the Province had a cervical smear test in the five-year period up to 31 March 2003 – contrasting with higher figures for England, Scotland and Wales. NHS targets for cervical screening call for a minimum of 80 per cent of Northern Ireland women aged between 20 and 65 to be screened every five years.

8 Apr 2004