Cervical Cancer Could Soon Be Eliminated Because Of This New Screening Method

Cervical cancer affects thousands of women globally and more than 311,000 people have died from it.

Thanks to the new improved screening method, cervical cancer could soon be eliminated. Until now, during screening processes, only those samples that were found to have possible cell changes were examined for human papillomavirus viral infection, which is the main cause of cervical cancer.

The National Health Services (NHS) has rolled out a new method, recently, wherein patients were initially examined for HPV infection and only those who tested positive for the virus will be examined for abnormal cells. Spotting any signs of infection and treating it at an earlier stage before it might lead to cancer can help reduce the rates of this cancer significantly.

“Screening is one of the most effective ways of protecting against cervical cancer and there is no doubt this new way of testing will save lives,” Express.co.uk quoted Professor Peter Johnson, national clinical director for cancer. “It is vitally important that all eligible people attend for their screening appointments, to keep themselves safe. Combined with the success of the HPV vaccine for both boys and girls, we hope that cervical cancer can be eliminated altogether by the NHS in England.”

Health experts have urged women to continue attending their screenings. Millions of women skip cervical screening every year. When the young generation of women is completely vaccinated, the future appears to be free of cervical cancer.

It is expected that vaccination will make a tremendous difference to the millions of women and girls from the low and middle-income nations that lack routine screening programs.

With HPV vaccinations and testing available nationally, cervical cancer might get very rare. Health experts believe that it is a truly momentous achievement. But, to ensure that the disease is consigned to the past, vaccination rates must be kept high and a safe screening method should be provided to all women.