A revolutionary at-home cervical screening test could be a “game-changer” for women’s health, with plans to introduce it across the NHS. This self-administered kit, hailed for its simplicity and convenience, has the potential to increase screenings by an impressive 400,000 annually.
NHS chiefs are currently considering its implementation in England.
The innovative test is designed to detect human papillomavirus (HPV), which is often symptomless but can lead to cervical cancer. It targets around 13 high-risk HPV types that are responsible for 99.7% of cervical cancers.
The largest trial yet, the King’s College London YouScreen trial, has demonstrated the effectiveness of the DIY test in encouraging more women to participate in screening. Statistics reveal a worrying decline in cervical screening rates, with almost one-third of English women, especially the younger demographic, skipping their latest recommended test.
Experts point out that inconvenient appointment times, feelings of embarrassment, and fear of pain are common reasons women avoid screenings. The trial allowed women to use a vaginal swab, akin to an elongated cotton bud, to collect their sample either at home or at their GP’s office, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Participants then mailed their samples directly to a lab without any cost. Trial findings indicate that if these home tests were widely available, over a million additional women might engage in screening every three years in England, equating to 400,000 more each year.
Lead investigator Dr Anita Lim from King’s College London has hailed self-sampling as a “game-changer for cervical screening,” following evidence from a UK population study. She stated: “Self-sampling has been hailed as a game-changer for cervical screening and we now have evidence in a UK population to show that it really is. Women who don’t come for regular screening are at the highest risk of developing cervical cancer.”
Dr Lim also highlighted the worrying trend of declining participation in cervical screening, saying: “Cervical screening participation has been falling in England for over two decades. Currently a third of eligible women aren’t getting screened regularly and in some parts of London this is as high as 50%. It is crucial that we make cervical screening easier by introducing innovations like self-sampling, alongside the current cervical screening programme, to help protect more people from this highly preventable cancer. Self-sampling can do this by offering people choice and convenience.”
The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, involved sending out 17,604 self-sampling kits directly through the mail, with a return rate of 13%. Additionally, 10,849 women were offered a kit during GP surgery visits for unrelated issues, with an acceptance rate of 85% and a return rate of 56% for the self-samples.
The findings revealed that 52% of those who returned a self-sample were at least two years overdue for screening, including those never previously screened. Moreover, a significant proportion of participants were from ethnic minority groups (64%) and deprived populations (60%).
The researchers have hailed the potential of home-testing kits to boost cancer screening rates in England, with Dr Lim stating: “The YouScreen trial has given us the evidence we need to demonstrate that self-sampling helps get more women screened in England.”
Dr Lim highlighted the inclusivity of the trial, noting: “It’s really encouraging that we received self-samples from groups that have been historically underserved including people from deprived and ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQI+, people with learning disabilities and victims of sexual violence.”
She also revealed the significant difference in response rates, saying: “The 13% figure for people returning kits that were mailed to their homes is in line with previous studies but it was exciting that 56% of people returned a kit when offered one at their GP practice,” adding that this is “very promising in this group of people who haven’t been coming for screening”.
NHS director of screening and vaccination Deborah Tomalin expressed optimism about the study’s implications: “It’s extremely promising that this study suggests simple DIY swab tests could have a really positive impact in supporting more women to take part in cervical screening from their own homes, and the NHS will now be working with the UK National Screening Committee to consider the feasibility of rolling this out more widely across England.”
Tomalin also urged women to attend screenings, emphasizing: “In the meantime, if you are invited for cervical screening by the NHS, it’s vital that you come forward it could save your life and remains vital towards our ambition of eradicating cervical cancer in England within the next two decades.”
Professor Peter Sasieni, a leading researcher at King’s College London and now affiliated with Queen Mary University of London, has made a bold statement about the future of cervical cancer in the UK. He declared that the nation is “well on the way to turning cervical cancer into a rare disease”.
He highlighted the significant impact of the HPV vaccination programme in schools but stressed the importance of regular screening for women born before 1990 who have not received the vaccine. The NHS currently invites women for cervical screening at intervals ranging from three to five years, depending on age, or more frequently if HPV is detected.
This practice is credited with saving thousands of lives annually.
In cases where HPV is present, women may be asked to return for a follow-up test after a year or undergo an alternative examination of their cervix. Meanwhile, other nations such as the Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, and Sweden have already implemented self-testing kits for HPV.