Thanks to self-collection tests, more women are testing for cervical cancer than ever before

Brava ladies, brava.

Thanks to self-collection tests, more women are testing for cervical cancer than ever before. Image: iStock

Since the eligibility expansion was enacted for self-collection cervical cancer screening tests, more and more Australians are opting to get tested, predicting positive results for prospective prevention of cervical cancer.

Last year, self-collection screening tests for cervical cancer became available to all people with a cervix as part of the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP).

And after a slow start since its eligibility expansion in July 2022, the response to self-collection screenings is rising at a steady pace with participation rates now at a 430 per cent increase.

This has left GPs hopeful that cervical cancer diagnosis will be caught earlier than ever before and save many women from premature death as a result.

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Cervical cancer currently sits at the 14th most common cancer in Australia with an average of 900 diagnoses and 200 deaths every year, according to newsGP.

Of these cases, it is estimated the 72 per cent of Australians diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer are proven to have been heavily under screened or not screened at all. This has meant that for the longest time, Australia has had high rates of death as a result of missed cervical cancer diagnoses.

It’s the primary reason that self-collection screening test were initially rolled out in 2021 for those that had never been screened before, however, only a minimal percentage of those eligible to take the test did so.

Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer in Australia. Image: iStock

With the expansion of self-collection on 1 July 2022, the rate of participation has seen a dramatic shift with an average of 5000 people using the tests each month, according to data collected by Medicare Benefits Schedule.

According to RACGP Board Chair Dr Lara Roeske, the initiative is all about making women feel more comfortable being screened, and the self-collection tests are proving an effective solution.

"Without fail I’m finding that most patients are really keen on the concept," she told newsGP. She also assured that the tests are just as effective as clinically-collected tests, and they result in the same recall interval for negative results.

"Right at the outset, they’re very powerful messages around the accuracy and the evidence behind the tests that are exactly the same in terms of that outcome of a negative result, meaning you can go away for five years," she said.

Self-collection tests are just as effective as clinically-collected tests. Image: iStock

While it’s pleasing to see such a rapid rise in uptake of self-collected screening tests, there is still room for improvement, but Pathology Awareness Australia Ambassador, Professor Marion Saville is confident that self-collection tests will help contribute to the prevention of cervical cancer.

"Self-collection is expected to lead to a big uptick in cervical screening participation rates, and certainly we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of people accessing self-collection since July," Professor Saville told newsGP.

Originally published as Thanks to self-collection tests, more women are testing for cervical cancer than ever before