Cervical Cancer Screening

Every 60 seconds, someone's mother, wife, sister, aunt or daughter is diagnosed with cervical cancer somewhere in the world, with over 800 cases diagnosed in Australia each year. 
From 1st July all Australian women aged 25 to 74 years of age will be among the first in the world to have the option to take a self-collected vaginal sample, providing for a much less invasive procedure than the standard clinician collected sample – a move that is expected to increase screening participation rates. 

Giving women the option to self-collect is part of an expanded campaign by the Federal Government to make cervical cancer screening more accessible and more widely available, helping Australia achieve the World Health Organisation's global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.  

Self-collection was only available to women aged 30 years or over who had never participated in the cervical cancer screening programme, or were two or more years overdue, but now that is about to change.

"We note that particularly young people between the ages of 25 and 29, are not participating in the screening program in the numbers we would like to see," said Professor Marion Saville, Executive Director at the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer.

The barriers to screening include the invasiveness of the procedure that is often considered uncomfortable. Further, inequity of access due to cultural and personal barriers also discourages women from screening, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as well as culturally and linguistically diverse women, and gender and sexually diverse people. However, the expanded access aims to address this.

"People who were due to have their screening test in 2020 are more likely, due to COVID restrictions, to be overdue and face challenges for screening," Professor Saville added.

Cervical cancer is one of the greatest threats to women's health and Australia is a global leader in preventing it, with an effective HPV vaccination program delivered through schools, and a longstanding cervical screening program, yet still, according to the Department of Health approximately 800 women each year are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Australia.

"Roche are committed to supporting the Government to reduce and eliminate cervical cancer through expanded self-collection and greater access to all eligible women," said Roche Diagnostics Australia Managing Director, Allison Rossiter.

"Our HPV tests will be the most widely available in Australia. The test is included on the ARTG to provide individual results for HPV genotypes 16 and 18, the two highest risk types known to be the primary cause of cervical cancer. By providing individual results, clinicians can better risk-stratify patients, and make patient management decisions with confidence," she added.

"Self-collection is much less invasive and uncomfortable than the current speculum collection performed by a healthcare professional. Now people can collect a vaginal swab sample themselves in a private room at the clinic," Professor Saville said.

"This will potentially remove some of the cultural and personal barriers that have previously discouraged women from screening. Cervical cancer is preventable, and elimination is within reach if we take action now."

Roche is a presenting partner of Conquering Cancer, a global communications initiative that is showing
the world that cervical cancer elimination is achievable everywhere.