Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers and yet, more than two women die every day in the UK from it. According to Cancer Research UK, around 850 cervical cancer deaths occur in the UK every year and it’s also the most common form of cancer in females under the age of 35.
We think this is a powerful reason to support Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, taking place Monday 22nd January 2024. The Department of Health and Social Care, together with NHS England and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, are campaigning to stop cancer before it starts by highlighting the benefits of cervical screening to women and employers.
Living with cervical cancer
According to Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust – the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity, there are around 3,200 women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and the five-year survival rate currently stands at 67.4%. They estimate that around 49,000 women are living with or are beyond a cervical cancer diagnosis. What’s more, those who survive often face multiple and often complex long-term consequences of their diagnosis. This can involve ongoing treatment which comes with consequences for quality of life.
Identifying the symptoms
One of the reasons why regular screening is so important is that cervical cancer often has no noticeable symptoms in the early stages. However, some of the symptoms that may indicate the presence of cervical cancer include:
- Blood spots of irregular bleeding between periods
- Longer or heavier than usual menstrual bleeding
- Bleeding or pain during or after intercourse
- Increased or unusual vaginal discharge
- Unexplained/persistent back pain or pelvic pain
Any woman experiencing these symptoms should contact their GP.
The impact of screening and vaccination
The good news is that, thanks to the NHS screening programme first introduced in 1988, incidences of cervical cancer have fallen by a third in the first 20 years of this campaign. Screening (taking a smear test) has had a huge impact, preventing an estimated 75% of cervical cancer diagnoses. The more recent vaccination programme for human papillomavirus (HPV) has had a similar impact. Offered to girls aged 11-17 since 2008, the vaccination protects against 70% of cervical cancers. However, advances made in reducing cervical cancer are at risk if the number of screenings reduce, and this appears to be happening.
The latest screening data
The latest data from NHS England as reported in The Guardian, shows the proportion of women in England not screened for cervical cancer to be at a 10 year high. Around 4.6 million women aged 25 to 64 in England (or 30%) have never been screened for cervical cancer or are not up to date with their tests. To make matters worse, vaccination rates among teenagers are falling too. For 2021/22 they were down 7% in girls in year 8 at school, compared with the previous academic year.
The next 20 years
According to data from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, incidences of cervical cancer over the next 20 years will be most prevalent in the age groups that haven’t benefitted from vaccination. These are currently women in their 40s and 50s. It is estimates that when this age group reaches 50-64 incidences will rise to 51%. All of which makes screening attendance so important. Contrast this with other countries – for example Sweden and Australia appear to be on course to eliminate cervical cancer before 2030 – and the challenge the UK faces becomes even more clear.
Raising awareness – what employers can do
The more women who receive regular screening or who take up the vaccination, the better. And employers can play a vital role in driving awareness. The message has to be that getting checked can save your life, so please take up the offer of a test from your GP – or make an appointment if you haven’t received one.
Reducing the fear can help encourage better screening attendance. A fear of bad news may explain a reluctance to attend but 9 out of 10 women screened for cervical cancer will have a negative test result. And, as the NHS says on its cervical screening page, cervical screening is not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer.
It’s worth emphasising that cervical cancer is often curable if diagnosed at an early stage. The NHS run free-of-charge cervical screening for all women aged between 25-49 every 3 years and women aged between 50-64 every 5 years.
Much of the above can be addressed in conversations in the workplace aimed at normalising women’s health issues – where the conversation could also include topics such as the menopause and breast cancer. Increasingly, enlightened workplaces have a more supportive culture, with more empowerment for women to discuss issues relating to their health and have them recognised by line managers.
Promoting Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
Of course, getting behind national campaigns is also a powerful way for employers to drive awareness. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust have a number of resources and ways to get involved with workplace posters and even ways organisations can share the campaign on their social media channels.
Find out more about Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and their campaign.
In conclusion
With a GP screening programme and the availability of a vaccine, cervical cancer is one of the more preventable cancers. But while the UK has the tools to step up awareness and aid prevention, there is much work still to be done. Employers have a role to play in creating workplace cultures that normalise conversations around women’s health and do more to spread the word on awareness of both screening and vaccination. Whether they adopt resources from sources like Jo’s Cervical Cancer trust or create their own, taking action can help to reduce incidences of cervical cancer or even prevent it before it starts.
