KENT NEWS: Health chiefs are renewing their appeal for women to get screened for cervical cancer as the ‘Jade Goody effect’ wears off.
Less than 12 months after the 27-year-old reality TV star died of the disease, the number of women coming forward for screening has fallen dramatically across all three of Kent and Medway’s primary care trusts.
In March, 2009 – the month Goody lost her battle with cancer – around 6,500 women in Kent accepted their screening requests from the NHS.
This meant figures for last year showed an uptake rate of more than 80 per cent across the county - more than the national average of 79 per cent - despite the number of screenings remaining at normal levels in most other months in 2009.
By the end of April, just weeks after Goody’s death, figures had already slipped down to just over 4,000 women responding to NHS requests.
By December, this had dropped to between 500 and 2,000 at Kent’s NHS trusts.
Dr John Rodriguez, public health screening lead for the NHS in Kent and Medway, told KOD Media it was important that women continued to have regular checks.
“The drop is down to the Jade Goody effect wearing off,” he said.
“Uptake figures were high last year, but this is down to the peak in March when she died.
“The NHS is continuously promoting the need for screening. It shouldn’t take the death of another well-known person to be the reason women get screened.
“If they are regularly checked then cervical cancer can be prevented.”
Dr Rodriguez said there are a number of reasons women do not get screened.
“Some people just don’t think about it, or don’t think it will happen to them,” he said.
“Others think it is a personal procedure or are frightened of what might happen. In some cases, women just have a lot of other things going on in their lives.
“But I cannot emphasise enough how important it is for women to have cervical screening.”
Around 66 women in Kent and Medway are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.
In 2008, 28 women died of the disease – the vast majority had not been screened regularly.
“Unfortunately once it spreads, it is much harder to treat so early diagnosis is important,” said Dr Rodriguez.
A vaccination programme is being rolled out across the country for girls aged 12-18.
“These vaccinations are 70 per cent effective,” said Dr Rodriguez.
“They are given to girls of secondary school age although they may be offered through the GP service if somebody requests it.”
The injection protects girls from the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is a sexually transmitted infection and the most common cause of cervical cancer.
Government believes the vaccination could potentially save up to 400 lives a year nationwide.
Cervical screening is offered to 25-64-year-olds, with the NHS urging women to come forward as soon as they hit the target age.
“Cervical cancer can be very serious and after breast cancer it is the most common women’s cancer in the world – yet it is one of the few preventable cancers,” said Dr Rodriguez.
“The HPV vaccine and regular screening will save lives and reduce the number of women who need to be treated.”
POSTED: 30/01/2010 08:00:00
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