January marked cervical cancer awareness month; it’s a reminder, says Paul Holmes, that more must be done to meet elimination targets.
For the first time ever, we have the opportunity to eliminate a type of cancer. The World Health Organisation announced a global call to action to eliminate cervical cancer, and healthcare services in England and Ireland have pledged to reach this target by 2040. To make this a reality, early and accurate diagnosis is crucial. Yet data from year three of the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index show that, in the UK, fewer than one in five women were tested for cancer. For cervical cancer specifically, NHS England data show that more than five million are not up to date with their screening.
To drive screening uptake, stakeholders across policy, research and patient advocacy groups must collaborate. Patient advocacy groups provide vital insights on women’s lived experience, which can help us to better understand what screening barriers they face and how we can tackle them.
There’s not a one size fits all solution and to deliver meaningful change requires a tailored approach.
While promising steps have been taken, we must sustain and accelerate this momentum
For instance, improving access to health information by ensuring it’s translated into multiple languages, leveraging social media and community outreach to reach more women, and actively combating misinformation are all key strategies. Other innovations include the ‘ping and book’ system in England that will remind women of breast and cervical screening appointments, allowing them to book appointments via the NHS app.
Moreover, innovation in technology is also key for an accurate diagnosis. For example, digital cytology enables the creation of digital images of cervical smear slides from samples that have tested positive for HPV. These images of test slides can be rapidly analysed using an advanced algorithm, which provides the screener with an image gallery of the most diagnostically relevant cells. This process helps medical experts more quickly identify and accurately diagnose abnormalities as they have fewer cells to analyse.
While promising steps have been taken, we must sustain and accelerate this momentum. It is clear that reaching the elimination target requires urgent, collaborative and innovative action. Only through these efforts can we protect future generations from this devastating yet preventable condition.
- Paul Holmes is market access and government affairs director, UK and Ireland at Hologic
