Pre-cervical cancer now ‘rare’ in young women thanks to HPV vaccine
'It is incredible, it is a massive reduction': CervicalCheck clinical director Nóirín Russell says that, previously, one in 20 young women had high grade abnormalities but now it’s becoming 'rare' to see this.
Doctors rarely see young women with signs of pre-cervical cancer now thanks to the “incredible” impact of the HPV vaccine, the clinical director at CervicalCheck said.
The HPV vaccine has been offered to girls in first year of secondary school since 2010.
All women are eligible for cervical screening from the age of 25.
Dr Nóirín Russell said that, if a woman’s screening results indicate abnormalities, they are sent for a follow-up colposcopy test.
“The change is quite dramatic,” she said.
“Before this, one in 20 women aged 25 had a high grade abnormality and were sent for colposcopy. So colposcopy clinics were full of young women with high-grade disease.
“Now, it’s actually becoming rare to see a 25-year-old.
That used to be our normal, and now it’s really noticeable in the clinics how fewer young women with high-grade abnormalities are being referred in.”
This continues a trend first identified in late 2023. Dr Russell said:
“If they don’t have the high-grade abnormalities at the age of 25, they are very unlikely to develop them and very unlikely to ever get cervical cancer.”
She paid tribute to the late Laura Brennan, saying the young woman — who had not been vaccinated and died of cervical cancer — inspired girls to get vaccinated with her campaigning.
However, Dr Russell urged women of all ages to attend for screening.
“It’s never too late to start screening,” she advised. “If you’re up to 65, there are benefits for you to attend.”
HPV cervical screening was introduced in Ireland almost five years ago in March 2020.
CervicalCheck recently offered one-off screening for older women who did not have access to this before.
“In that cohort there were a couple of hundred women who had never been screened at all before, and in response to that letter — a very bespoke letter — they had their first screening,” she said.
Dr Russell also welcomed a new screening programme running on-site in Limerick Prison.
This is the first such programme, and it is hoped to roll this out across the prison system.
Edel Muldowney, the chief nurse officer who led the programme, said of the previous set-up: “Our medical team didn’t include a trained CervicalCheck sample taker.
“If women wanted cervical screening, they were escorted to a GP practice by two or three guards.
“Understandably, a lot of women declined.”
A new building now supports trauma-informed healthcare, a female GP was appointed, and they had support from a gynaecologist.
“We’re starting from scratch with some women, they have so much on their minds, and trauma can lead to resistance,” Ms Muldowney said.
“Many are also managing addiction which is a challenge. I’m very grateful to the CervicalCheck team here in Limerick, who continue to support us.”
The programme is having a positive impact, she said, adding “they’re not used to really prioritising their health”.
