Early signs of cervical cancer down by over forty percent
The University of Aberdeen has conducted research into the disease
The number of young Scottish women showing early signs of potential cervical cancer have almost halved since the introduction of a school vaccination programme.
The research by the University of Aberdeen suggests the vaccine against Human Papilloma Virus has seen a significant reduction in abnormal cervical screening tests 20 years earlier than anticipated.
It found that 1294 women were referred for a colposcopy in 2008-2009 due to an abnormal screening smear, compared to 758 women in 2013-2014 – a reduction of 41%.
Professor Maggie Cruickshank, who led the study, explained: “We thought it might take twenty years to see the benefits of HPV vaccination as it would take time to reduce levels of HPV infection - the virus that causes abnormal cells to develop.
"But this data shows that we’re already seeing a significant reduction in colposcopy and subsequent treatment for pre-cancer.
“This is great news for women as this means they can avoid the short term negative effects of colposcopy such as pain and bleeding, but also longer term, there are concerns that some women treated for pre-cancer changes can have an increased risk of pre-term labour.
"So we’re showing that the vaccination is not only protecting against cancer but also, the immediate risks of the colposcopy and longer term, hopefully the increased risk of pre-term labour.“
Professor Mary Ann Lumsden, Senior Vice President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), added: “Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women below the age of 35.
"Each day in the UK, nine women are diagnosed with cervical cancer – a largely preventable disease thanks to cervical screening and the HPV vaccination programme.
“We welcome these extremely encouraging results which reveal a reduction in the number of young women being referred for a colposcopy with early signs of potential cervical cancer – this is most likely due to the HPV vaccination programme’s success. We encourage all girls aged 12 and 13 to take up the vaccine."