Cervical screening every five years ‘prevents as many cancers as every three’

The study of 1.3 million women in England was published in the British Medical Journal (Lynne Cameron/PA)

Women could be screened for cervical cancer every five years instead of every three and as many cancers could still be prevented, a new study suggests.

Researchers at King’s College London said that screening women aged 24 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) at five-year intervals prevented as many cancers as screening every three years.