Cervical cancer screening

Cervical screening is a way of preventing cervical cancer. It is used to find early changes in the cells lining the cervix, which could develop into cervical cancer if they were left alone. Treating these changes can prevent cervical cancer from developing at all.

Cervical screening is commonly known as the 'smear test'. At screening the doctor or nurse takes a sample of cells from your cervix using a spatula or a small brush. The samples are then sent to a lab, where scientists examine these cells under a microscope to look for any unusual changes.

You can find out more information about what it is like to go for cervical screening and what happens after the test on our patient information website CancerHelp UK.

With the long history of cervical screening in the UK, we have good evidence to show that it is successful at saving lives.

In the 1950s, the death rates for cervical cancer began to fall by about 1% a year. But since 1988, when the NHS Cervical Screening Programme was set up, rates have decreased more rapidly by around 7% a year.

A Cancer Research UK study estimated that cervical screening prevents about 5,000 deaths every year in the UK.

Cervical screening is mainly used to prevent cancers from developing in the first place. But in some cases it can also find cervical cancer early if the disease has already developed.

The stage of cervical cancer at diagnosis strongly affects a woman’s chances of successful treatment.

If the cancer is detected at the earliest stage, more than nine in ten women survive for at least five years after being diagnosed. But if it is detected at the most advanced stage, only one in four women do so.

Screening intervals and age ranges vary across the UK.

In England:

women aged 25-49 are invited for screening every 3 years
women aged 50-64 are invited for screening every 5 years
women aged 65 or over are only screened if they have not been screened since age 50, or have had recent abnormal results.

In Scotland, women aged 20-60 are invited for screening every 3 years.

In Wales and Northern Ireland, women aged 20-64 are invited for screening every 3-5 years.

You can read about the reasons for the variation in cervical screening age at CancerHelp UK.

Invitation letters are sent out based on GP records. It is important to be registered with a GP and to keep your contact details up-to-date, so that you don’t miss out on your invitation to attend screening.

There has been a lot of coverage in the media about the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines. HPV is a very common infection. There are many different types of HPV, some of which have been found to increase the risk of cervical cancer.

The new HPV vaccine is an exciting development and could prevent around 70% of cases of cervical cancer in the future. But we don't yet know whether the vaccine is effective in women who already have HPV, nor how long the immunity given by the vaccine lasts. So for the moment, going for cervical screening is still the best way of preventing cervical cancer.

You can find out all about the research we are doing on cervical screening by going to our research highlights pages.

As well as attending screening, it’s still important to keep an eye out for any unusual changes in your body. If you notice anything unusual, make an appointment to see your doctor and get it checked out.

Smoking can increase the risk of cervical cancer. This is because cancer-causing chemicals in cigarette smoke can enter the blood and travel around the body, damaging the cells of the cervix. To find out more, and get advice on giving up, go to our healthy living section.

Our CancerStats section has detailed statistical information on cervical screening.