Nearly 54 per cent of women are skipping vital cervical screening that can save lives.
Cervical cancer in young women has increased by more than half during a ‘decade-long lack of progress’ in tackling the disease.
It is the most common cancer in women under 35, killing around 850 women a year.
One in four women skips their regular screening — what we used to call a smear test — and this increases to one in three among those aged 25 to 29. Surveys suggest that embarrassment is the reason why up to half of those who miss screening do not attend.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, says: ‘These figures highlight a worrying trend that shows progress is stalling and stagnating. Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that can be prevented through screening. But these life-saving programmes can’t help people they can’t reach, which is why it’s important for us to continue to raise awareness.’
The death of TV star Jade Goody in 2009 from cervical cancer boosted the numbers of young women seeking screening, but that effect has long worn off and uptake is at an all-time low.
The good news is that experts say cervical cancer has the potential to become a thing of the past. But for that to happen, it is vital that people go for their screening test, even if they are completely well.
Screening involves taking a sample of cells from the neck of the womb to look for abnormalities, and it aims to spot pre-cancerous cells which can be treated before they develop into tumours that can spread throughout the body.
Edited by Zoe Pinks and Laura Riddell
My little boy asked if I was going to die
Laura Flaherty, a 33-year-old from Lancashire was diagnosed with the disease when she was just 29.
I’d received a couple of letters reminding me to make an appointment for a smear test, but I hadn’t got around to it. As a working mum to two young children, life was hectic. Besides, I was 29 and felt indestructible. But months later, I went to a drop-in clinic.
Walking back from the test, I phoned my mum and said: ‘I’m pretty sure I’d know if I had cancer.’
It seemed impossible to me that someone could have such a serious disease and not feel poorly.
Then one day, I arrived home with my partner Ryan and children Alex, six, and Violet, two, to find a letter.
I ripped it open and felt stunned to see the words ‘high-grade dyskaryosis’ and ‘CIN 3’.
I phoned the clinic and was told a large area of my cervix was affected by abnormal cells.
The following week, I had a colposcopy and later a biopsy.
When I returned for the results, I saw a Macmillan nurse and knew it was bad news.
The consultant confirmed it.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘It is cancer.’
‘Please,’ I said, ‘I have two young children. You have to fix this.’
Back home, I told Ryan: ‘It’s cancer. But it’s going to be OK, they caught it early.’
Days later, an MRI revealed that I had stage 1 cancer.
I needed a hysterectomy, and after the operation the tissue was taken away to be tested.
Back home, Alex sensed there was something going on.
I sat him down and explained.
‘Are you going to die?’ he asked.
‘Not today,’ I replied.
It was a month before tests confirmed that I was cancer-free.
As I left hospital, I felt overwhelmed.
My goodness, I thought. I had cancer.
The Macmillan nurse looked surprised to find me sitting on a bench. She wrapped her arms around me.
‘You can go on with your life,’ she said.
Now, I’ve been cancer-free for three years.
But I want to raise awareness.
I naively thought that cancer couldn’t affect me. But it can hit anyone, at any time.
So book your screening test. It might save your life.
What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer affects the lining of the lower part of the womb.
The most common symptoms include:
- unusual vaginal bleeding
- pain or discomfort during sex
- vaginal discharge
- pain in the area between the hip bones (pelvis)
For more information, visit cancerresearchuk.org