21 cervical cancer deaths a year in NI
Top consultant urging young women to attend cervical screening
Last updated 23rd Jan 2020
415 people across Northern Ireland have been diagnosed with cervical cancer in the last five years.
During this period 105 people have died from the disease according to statistics from the Public Health Agency between 2013 and 2017.
On average there are 83 new diagnoses of cervical cancer and 21 cervical cancer related deaths each year.
The PHA is encouraging women to attend their cervical screening test to try and reduce the number of incidents across the country.
According to a top health official attending a screening appointment could be life-saving.
Cervical screening aims to prevent cervical cancer from developing and checks cells from the cervix.
The test is designed to pick up any changes so that they can then be monitored or treated.
Young women in particular between the ages of 25-30 are being urged to attend their pre-scheduled appointment.
Overall, 76% of women attend their cervical cancer screening appointment, however young women are 16% less likely to attend an appointment.
The statistics from the PHA also show that people who come from deprived and impoverished areas are less likely to get a smear test.
Women aged between 25-49 are automatically invited to an appointment every three years and women aged between 50-64 will get an invite every five years.
The PHA estimates that in a well-screened population eight out of ten cervical cancers can be prevented.
Dr Damien Bennett, a Consultant in Public Health Medicine, at the PHA said: “We are using this opportunity of Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to highlight the importance to all women who are invited for a cervical screening programme to actually attend.
“We know that cervical screening is one of the most effective ways of preventing cervical cancer from developing.
“Cervical screening is almost unique because it can pick up changes before cancer has developed, so we can pick up what we call pre-cancerous changes.”
He added: “We do know that there are problems with uptake, or poorer uptake, in certain groups and in certain ages.
“We also know that people from more deprived areas are less likely to attend, so these are the two particular groups that we would like to see a better participation rate in.”
Dr Bennett said that the PHA works with the Women’s Resource and Development Agency an organisation that helps women from disadvantaged urban and rural communities.
He said: “We’ve done a lot with people in deprived areas and groups that we know are less likely to attend,
“Ethnic minority groups, Traveller groups and people who don’t have English for their first language.”
As well as cervical screening, there is a vaccine available that helps protect girls against cervical cancer.
Dr Bennett said: “In Northern Ireland all girls and boys in year nine are offered the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) in school.
“The HPV vaccine helps protect against two types of the virus that causes most cases of cervical cancer.”
The school programme for the HPV jab was originally intended for girls but following the success of the programme it has now been introduced for boys.
Mr Bennett added: “We’ve noticed the vaccination rates for the HPV in schools to be relatively stable, the statistics show that up-take is over 80%.
“We have noticed that rates have remained relatively stable and we hope that will continue.
“That means we will have full coverage for all year nines from this year on and that will certainly help with reducing the incidents of cervical cancer in the future.”