Urgent cervical cancer plea issued to women

• More than 3,000 women in the UK are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually, with approximately a third of eligible women overdue for screening.
• A study led by Queen Mary University of London and King’s College London suggests that offering at-home self-tests for HPV could prevent up to 1,000 cervical cancer cases each year.
• The research, conducted across 13 GP practices in West London, found that 52 per cent of women accepted and returned a self-sampling kit when offered in-person at an appointment.
• Uptake was significantly lower for postal offers, at 12 per cent for kits and 5 per cent for letters offering a kit.
• Home-testing kits for HPV are set to be rolled out in England for those overdue for cervical cancer screening, providing an alternative to internal examinations.

IN FULL

New study says self-test could prevent up to 1,000 cervical cancer cases a year