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Cervical cancer resource collection

To mark Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we have brought together a selection of resources from across our journals for you to read to keep your practice up to date

This week – 22-28 January – is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week. More than 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 890 women lose their lives to the disease every year. Around 5 million UK women are invited to cervical screening each year, yet one in four do not attend.


Picture: iStock

RCNi has a wide range of resources available to help nurses understand the barriers to cervical screening uptake. To mark the awareness event, we have hand-picked a selection of articles from Nursing Standard and specialist journals Primary Health Care and Cancer Nursing Practice for you to read.

What you can do

Help raise awareness of our content by sharing this article using the weblink rcni.com/cervical-cancer and the hashtag #SmearForSmear.

Evidence & practice

HPV
Picture: iStock

The evolution of the NHS cervical screening programme

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme continues to make improvements in response to scientific research and technical advances. This article details the history of change in the programme and the latest significant advances, including human papillomavirus primary screening and the opportunities this will provide for cervical screening in the future.

Read the article

Cervical brush
Picture: iStock

Policy briefing

Cervical screening

Read our policy briefing on new guidance from Public Health England on the importance of practice nurses educating women about cervical screening.

Read the article

Cervical brush
Picture: Alamy

Clinical update

Your essential guide to the latest guidelines on cervical cancer

In the UK in 2013 there were around 3,200 new cases of cervical cancer. It is the 12th most common cancer in UK women, resulting in 890 deaths in 2014.

Read the article

Comment

Cervical cancer
Picture: iStock

Viv Bennett: Improving cervical screening uptake would save lives

With the uptake rate of cervical cancer screening at a 20-year low, nurses need to help women understand the importance of screening and its crucial role in preventing death from cervical cancer, says Public Health England chief nurse Viv Bennett.

Read the article


Cervical cancer screening
Picture: iStock

Gill Burgess: Decline in cervical cancer screening uptake is risking lives

Figures showing a further drop in screening coverage in England make increased diagnoses and mortality a real threat, says helpline coordinator of a cervical cancer charity Gill Burgess.

Read the article

Smear test information
Picture: Chris Balcombe

Journal Scan

Many women ‘unaware’ of cervical screening programme

More than a quarter of women who have not had a smear test may not know about the cervical screening programme, according to a study.

Read the article


Cervical cancer cell
Picture: Science Photo Library

Risk of dying from cervical cancer higher than previously thought

A new analysis of cervical cancer mortality rates has revealed that the risk of dying from the disease is higher than previously thought, with black women most at risk.

Read the article


HPV vaccine
Picture: Getty

HPV vaccine reduces cervical pre-cancers in young women

Screening guidelines and practices, which are undertaken as part of the overall cervical cancer prevention programme, may need to be reviewed as the population of women participating in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination increases.

Read the article



Picture: Alamy

Extending cervical screening beyond 5 years safe for some women

Extending the cervical cancer screening interval beyond 5 years for women aged 40 and over who test negative for human papilloma virus (HPV) is safe, say researchers.

Read the article



Picture: iStock

A cluster randomised trial of strategies to increase cervical screening uptake at first invitation

There has been an increase in the incidence of cervical cancer in women under 35, and a decrease in young women taking up cervical screening invitations.

Read the article

News archive

 iStock
Picture: iStock

Practice nurses key to reversing cervical screening downturn

Practice nurses and GPs have a key role to play in educating women about cervical screening and tackling falling attendances, according to Public Health England guidance.

Read the article

 


Find out more

Find out more about Cervical Cancer Prevention Week from Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the UK’s only dedicated charity offering support and information to women of all ages and their loved ones affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities. 

Jo's Trust - Cervical cancer prevention week

The National Helpline is on 0808 802 8000. 

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