Cancer survivor says smear test change risks lives

A woman who is in remission from cancer says she fears a change in how often women are offered smear tests could put lives at risk.

From July 2025, women in England aged 25 to 49 will be invited for cervical screening every five years, instead of every three.

Donna Bradbury, 42, from Welton, Lincolnshire said: "In the space of two-and-a-half years, I went from a clear smear to a 6cm (2.4in) tumour and stage two cervical cancer. So, if I had to wait any longer, it's scary to think what could've been."

NHS England said "robust scientific evidence" had shown screening every five years was as safe as every three years, and it wanted to spare people appointments they did not need.

Ms Bradbury said all her previous screenings were clear but she developed symptoms, including irregular bleeding, after her last one.

The mother-of-three said she was six months away from her next smear but she pushed for tests as she felt something was wrong.

"When I got told it was cervical cancer, it was a huge shock," she said.

"You just think about your children, don't you. You think about the worst case scenario. But it was the worry because obviously my one-and-a-half-year-old would not remember me. It was a very scary time."

Ms Bradbury, who was diagnosed in 2020, said she was worried extending the time between screening tests could mean some people going undiagnosed for longer.

"Five years seems a long time," she said.

"There's going to be a lot of people whose diagnosis are going to get missed because of this."

Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of gynae cancer charity The Eve Appeal, said more than 40% of women in England were worried being screened less often is not safe.

However, Ms Lamnisos said: "Science has moved on a great deal. The test has moved on considerably. There have been huge trials done around the efficacy of this.

"The test has become more sensitive and efficient so there are lots of reasons to really have confidence in this change."

The move to five-year intervals brings England into line with Scotland and Wales. Women aged between 50 and 64 are also offered cervical screening every five years.

NHS England said the change was based on a recommendation from the UK National Screening Committee.

"The NHS cervical screening programme tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) and uses a better and more accurate test than before. This means if you test negative for HPV, you don't need to be screened as often as your risk of developing cervical cancer is very low. If you test positive for HPV, we'll monitor you more closely with additional tests and follow-up appointments.

"This personalised approach ensures everyone receives the right level of screening based on their individual risk factors, providing better protection while reducing unnecessary procedures."

Ms Bradbury said she is hoping to get her "five year clear" in November.

"I often think to myself, when I'm having a bad day, there's people out there that would give anything for my bad day. So I just feel really lucky," she said.

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