DIY kits could increase cervical cancer screenings by a million

Image source, Getty Images

Legend, The cervix is the canal connecting the vagina and the uterus

More than a million more women could benefit from life-saving cervical cancer tests if the NHS adopted do-it-yourself tests, researchers say.

The team from King’s College London said the results of their self-testing trial were “fantastic” and “empowering for women”.

The kits look like a Covid swab but longer and are sent to a lab for analysis.

The NHS has described the results as extremely positive and is currently assessing the feasibility of rolling out the programme.

There are more than 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer in the UK each year.

The cervix is the small opening connecting the top of the vagina to the base of the uterus.

“An uncomfortable experience”

Women are encouraged to have cervical cancer screening – formerly called a pap smear – every three to five years between the ages of 25 and 65.

But around 4.6 million women in England – almost a third of those offered screening – do not come forward for screening.

“Cervical cancer screening has been in decline for 20 years,” said Mairead Lyons, lead consultant on the trial.

“Many women will describe this as an uncomfortable experience (or they are) too busy, embarrassed or afraid of the physical experience.”

The YouScreen trial is the first time that a self-test has been offered as part of cervical cancer screening in the UK.

Women and people with a cervix were offered a self-test kit in two ways:

If they were six months late for screening and went to their GP for any reason, their doctor would automatically be alerted and offer them a kit
If they were 15 months late in their screening, a kit was sent to their home.

Legend, The swab looks for HPV, the main cause of most cervical cancers.

The kit contains a long cotton swab, used to swab the vaginal mucosa for about 20 seconds.

The sample is sent to a laboratory to be tested for human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes most cervical cancers.

If the result is positive, they are asked to do another test to see if any cells in the cervix have started to turn into cancer.

The trial took place across five London boroughs in 2021 and 27,000 test kits were offered.

The results, published in eClinicalMedicine, showed:

56% carried out the tests suggested by their GP
13% of completed tests were sent home

If these results were replicated across England, the researchers estimate that the proportion of women screened would increase from 69.9% to 77.3%, or around one million additional women over a three-year screening cycle.

The trial also showed that self-testing was accessible to women regardless of their ethnicity or wealth.

” A radical change “

“I’m really excited,” Lyons told me.

“I’ve spent over 30 years in the healthcare industry and it’s fantastic.”

Dr Anita Lim, from King’s College London, said: “Self-sampling has been hailed as a major innovation in cervical cancer screening. We now have evidence from a UK population that shows this is indeed the case.”

Self-testing is already offered in Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden.

Deborah Tomalin, NHS England’s director of testing and vaccination, described the trial results as “extremely promising”.

“The NHS will now work with the UK National Screening Committee to explore the feasibility of rolling out this device more widely across England,” she said.

Meanwhile, the HPV vaccine reduces cervical cancer by nearly 90%.

Professor Peter Sasieni, who was also involved in the self-testing trial, said young women who received the HPV vaccine as children may only need one to three cervical cancer screenings in their lifetime.

There have been no changes to the screening program for vaccinated women yet, so it is advisable to attend when invited for screening.

But he added: “Unfortunately, women born before 1990 are unlikely to benefit from the HPV vaccine, so regular screening is vitally important to protect those who have not been vaccinated.”

Main symptoms of cervical cancer

vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you – including during or after sex, between periods or after menopause – or heavier periods than usual
changes in vaginal discharge
pain during sex or in the lower back, lower abdomen, or between the hip bones (pelvis)