§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths have been recorded annually in recent years of women under the age of 20 years from cervical cancer.
§ Mr. FreemanThe information is shown in the table.
Number of deaths from cervical cancer1 of women under the age of 20 years in England and Wales, 1978–87 Year Number of deaths 1978 — 1979 — 1980 — 1981 — 1982 1 1983 — 1984 — 1985 — 1986 1 1987 — 1 Assigned to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 8th and 9th revision code 180.
§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stretford on 4 May,Official Report, column 230, what estimates he makes of the reduction of deaths from cervical cancer if the frequency of cervical smears was reduced from five years to (a) three years and (b) two years; what are the cost implications of this; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. FreemanEstimates made by the Department of Health cancer screening evaluation unit would suggest418W that, in comparison with screening every five years, cervical smears taken every three years between the ages of 20 and 64 could reduce by some further 7 per cent. the number of deaths which would otherwise occur from cancer of the cervix at an additional cost of somewhat over £22 million per annum. Screening every two years would reduce the number of deaths by an additional 1 or 2 per cent. at a further additional cost of some £28 million. These estimates are based on a hypothetical 100 per cent. acceptance of screening. Since we know that the majority of women who die from cervical cancer have never been screened, we have recommended to health authorities that increasing the proportion of women being screened regularly should take precedence over increasing the frequency of screening.