Cervical Cancer (Hansard, 26 October 1982)

§ Mr. Geoffrey Finsberg:

In my reply to my hon. Friend on 20 November 1981—[Vol. 13, c. 264–5.1—I announced the publication of the report of the committee on gynaeocological cytology which reviewed the age and frequency at which women should be offered routine screening for cervical cancer. The report was concerned only with the taking of cervical smears from symptom-free women for screening purposes, not those taken for diagnostic or investigative purposes.

We have now consulted the interested professional groups on the report, who support the committee's main conclusion that older women are still the group at greatest risk. I have therefore decided that priority should continue to be given to the regular screening of women over 35; and I shall be issuing guidance to health authorities reaffirming the current priorities for routine cervical cytology screening at five-yearly intervals for all women aged over 35 and those under 35 who have been pregnant on three or more occasions.

The committee also advised that screening of women under 35 should be rationalised. I have accepted their advice, and the guidance will include the committee's 384W recommendations that routine five-yearly screening of woman under 35 is not required, but that smears be taken early in the course of care for each pregnancy, and during attendance for family planning advice(a)when a woman who has not previously been screened reached the age of 22 or(b)at age 30 if no smear has been taken for five years. We shall, however, advise that any woman between 22 and 35 who does not come within any of these categories be screened twice if she requests it. For the latter category the committee had proposed a single test.

I believe that screening carried out on these lines will enable us not only to meet the needs of younger women, but also to concentrate resources more effectively on the screening of older women, who, it is generally acknowledged, are still at greatest risk from cervical cancer.