Nearly a third of women in Middlesbrough miss out on vital cancer checks

Nearly a third of younger women in Middlesbrough are missing out on vital cancer checks.

Just 67.9% of women aged 25 to 49 in the PCT area were up to date with their smear test in 2013/14, according to figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

Figures for Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton were better at 74% and above the England average.

However, it does mean more than 21,000 women aged 25 to 49 are missing out on the cancer check.

Figures for older women, aged 50 to 64, are better at 73.1% up to date in Middlesbrough and 79% and 78.1% in Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton respectively.

Women between the ages of 25 and 64 are invited for regular cervical screening under the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. This is intended to detect abnormalities within the cervix that could, if undetected and untreated, develop into cervical cancer.

Latest figures show that cervical screening coverage is considerably lower for women aged 25 to 29 than for those in older age groups.

As at 31 March 2014, screening coverage for women aged 25 to 29 was 63.3% - the equivalent of fewer than two out of three women screened. Although this is an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 31 March 2013, it is 18.3 percentage points lower than for women aged 50 to 54,who had the highest level of coverage at 81.6%.

However, the proportion of women aged 25 to 49 with an up to date smear test was up slightly, from 71.5% in 2012/13 to 71.9% in 2013/14. This reverses a falling trend since 2009/10, when the percentage up to date peaked at 74%, most likely due to the Jade Goody effect, following publicity around her illness and death from cervical cancer on March 22, 2009.

The proportion of younger women being tested is still higher than it was in 2004/05 and 2005/06, when it dropped to just 69.6%.

The proportion of older women, aged 50 to 64, who are up to date with their smear tests has been falling since a peak of 81% in 2004/05, with a drop from 77.5% in 2012/13 to 77% in 2013/14.

At 31 March 2014, cervical screening coverage amongst women aged 25 to 64 was 77.8%. This compares with 78.3% at 31 March 2013 and 80.6% 10 years ago at 31 March 2004

Regionally, five year coverage of the full target age group (25 to 64 years) was lowest in London at 75.2% and highest in the East Midlands at 79.8%

Amongst women aged 25 to 64 with adequate tests in 2013-14, 93.4% had a negative result. 6.6% had a result categorised as abnormal - from borderline change through to potential cervical cancer, with 1.3% having a result showing a high-grade abnormality.

HSCIC Chair Kingsley Manning, said: “The report highlights differences in cervical screening levels between women of different ages and shows differences between regions of the country.

“I’m sure health professionals and organisations with a focus on cervical cancer will be interested that women under 30 have the lowest levels of cervical screening coverage and will use this, as well as the other findings of the report, in planning their future work.”