Sussex women's cancer risk (From The Argus)
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Sussex women's cancer risk
7:30am Saturday 21st January 2012 in News
Thousands of women in Sussex are putting their lives at risk by not being tested for cervical cancer.
Health bosses say one in five women across the county invited to have a test do not take up the offer.
NHS Sussex is using Cervical Cancer Prevention Week to highlight the importance of being checked out.
Cervical screening nurse consultant Jenny Greenfield said: “Regular screening is the most effective way of finding a problem early and preventing a cancer from developing.
"Screening can prevent about 75% of cancer cases in women who attend regularly.
“Many who develop it have never been screened so you could say the biggest risk is actually not having the regular screening tests.”
Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV).
Many women will come into contact with high risk types of HPV at some time in their life and in the majority of cases their body’s own immune system will get rid of the infection without them ever knowing it was there.
Only a minority who are positive for high risk HPV types will develop cervical abnormalities which could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.
Screening begins at 25, with invitations for screening repeated every three years until the age of 49, and then every five years between the ages of 50 and 64.
For more details about cervical cancer, visit www.jostrust.org.uk or call 0808 802 8000.
l For more information about health services in your area go to theargus.co.uk/localinfo.
