Australian women could soon trade two-yearly Pap smears for a more accurate test every five years, in what health experts say is one of the biggest shake-ups to cancer screening in decades.
The move is likely to come after the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) recommended the shift to five-yearly cervical screening using the HPV (human papillomavirus) test.
The proposed regime, which is likely to start in 2016, is based on the latest scientific evidence that found the new test will work better by detecting HPV, which is known to be the first step in developing cervical cancer.
Collected in the same way as a Pap smear, testing under the new plan will start for women at age 25 and finish with an exit test between the ages of 70 and 74.
MSAC says women who are HPV-vaccinated will still require cervical screening as the vaccine does not protect against all types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer.
Women with symptoms such as pain or bleeding can have a test any time.
Australian health authorities say the changes are possible because more than 80 per cent of young people now get the HPV vaccine, a rate much higher than many overseas countries.
Professor Annabelle Farnsworth from pathology group Douglas Hanley Moir says the changes are significant.
“It is a bold move and Australia is one of the first countries to be able to make these changes to screening because of the high take-up of the HPV vaccine program,” she said.
Cancer Council chief executive Professor Ian Olver says the changes are likely to be introduced in 2016, but until then women are advised to have tests every two years.
“The Pap test program reduced deaths by 50 per cent in 10 years. The HPV test is predicted to further reduce mortality by 15 per cent,” he said.
The MSAC recommendations will be considered by government after extensive consultation with state and territory health authorities, medical and pathology experts and community groups.
Source: ABC