On the occasion of the European week for the prevention of cervical cancer, the cancer screening coordination center of Nouvelle-Aquitaine recalls the challenges of rigorous monitoring. A conference is also organized at the Agen-Nérac hospital centre.
Too many women are still victims of cancer of the cervix, each year, 3000 cancers occur and nearly 1100 women die from it. A figure that is still far too high, especially when we know that the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that cervical cancer might be totally eliminated thanks to “two effective and complementary interventions”, screening and vaccination that prevents human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.
However, France is lagging behind its European neighbors in terms of vaccination. Only one-third of 16-year-old girls received a full HPV vaccination schedule in 2020. This vaccine is recommended for pre-adolescent and adolescent girls aged 11 to 14 (with possible catch-up until age 19), but also in adolescents. Indeed, the papillomavirus can be the cause of other cancers of the genital tract and the ENT sphere.
Screening, for whom, how?
In terms of screening, the figures are not much better, only 59% of women aged 25 to 65 were screened over the period 2018-2020. However, regular and rigorous follow-up is important to detect any infection likely to develop into cancer. Cervical cancer screening aims to detect precancerous lesions and treat them before they develop into cancer. It also makes it possible to detect and treat cancers at an early stage and thus improve the chances of recovery. Nevertheless, the coverage rate is increasing, despite a slight drop during the months of March, April and May 2020 (period when screenings as part of the organized program had been interrupted because of Covid).
Screening consists of taking a sample from the cervix to detect abnormal cells as soon as possible (cytological examination) or the presence of the papillomavirus (HPV test). If the screening is positive, it does not mean that there is cancer but that the virus or abnormal cells have been detected. In this case, additional examinations may be prescribed. The screening test must be carried out within the recommended time intervals: every 3 years between 25 and 29 years (following two tests carried out one year apart and whose results are normal) and every 5 years between 30 and 65 year.
To remind you of the issue of screening and the methods of vaccination, the Agen-Nérac hospital is organizing a conference on Thursday January 27 at 6 p.m. in the establishment’s amphitheater. Whether you are a health professional or an individual, you can register via secretariat.santepublique@ch-agen-nerac.fr.
The conference program.
