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Published 16th
July, 2004
According to
research by Julian Peto et al, published in The Lancet (Vol.364:
249-56) on 16 July 2004, up to 5,000 deaths are being prevented
each year by the cervical screening programme.
Julietta Patnick,
Director, NHS Cancer Screening Programmes says:"I am delighted
that these findings recognise the huge contribution that the cervical
screening programme has made to saving women's lives. We
work hard to set the highest standards to ensure that women can
access our world leading, high quality cervical screening programme.
As this research shows, regular screening is one of the best defences
against cervical cancer and so I urge all women to attend when invited."
The research
analysed trends in mortality before 1988 (when the call and recall
programme was introduced nationally) in order to estimate the increase
in cervical cancer mortality that would have taken place if the
programme had not been introduced.
Findings include:
- The cervical
cancer death-rate increased threefold from 1967 to 1987 in women
aged under 35 - a trend that has been reversed since the national
screening programme began in 1988
- Cervical
screening has prevented an increase in deaths from cervical cancer
that would have killed one in 65 of all British women born since
1950
- The death
rate is substantially lower in women who were first screened when
they were younger (under 30).
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