What is Cervical Screening used for ?

Cervical Screening is capable of detecting fourteen types of HPV that can lead to cancerous growths. CST is used to identify HPV types 16 and 18, responsible for around 70% of all cervical cancers.

How does a Cervical Screening Test Work ?

The cell sample is most commonly obtained using a soft brush from the cervix. It is then sent to a laboratory for HPV testing and a report is issued for cervical cells.

Cervical cancer is an abnormal growth of cells within the cervix, and if left untreated, it can grow and spread throughout the body. This can cause symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a persistent infection of human papillomavirus (or HPV) and fall into two main types. The most common arises in the squamous cells of the cervix, accounting for about 80% of cases. Adenocarcinoma, a tumour formed from glandular cells, is rarer, accounting for about 20%.

While HPV infections are extremely common, and clear without treatment in 98% of cases, any person with a cervix who has ever been sexually active should receive a Cervical Screening Test once every five years— even if they have received vaccination against HPV. 

 

What is Cervical Screening Used For?

Put simply, Cervical Screening is used to detect HPV infections that could potentially lead to cancer, allowing them to be treated, and thus cancer to be prevented.

The new Cervical Screening Test (or CST) is more accurate than a traditional Pap smear, capable of detecting fourteen types of HPV that can lead to cancerous growths. More specifically, the CST is used to identify HPV types 16 and 18, responsible for around 70% of all cervical cancers; women with these types are at a higher risk for developing cervical cancer. Between 80-90% of women will receive a negative test, though a smaller number, in whom HPV is detected, will require further investigations and follow-up testing.

If HPV infection is detected in cervical cells, treatment of cell abnormalities is safe, simple, and effective.

 

How does a Cervical Screening Test Work?

To obtain a sample of cervical cells, the CST requires a vaginal examination (similar to a Pap smear). A special instrument known as a speculum is gently inserted into the vagina so it can be held open, and so your cervix can be seen. The cell sample is most commonly obtained using a soft brush, and so the examination should not be painful— but it may feel a little embarrassing, or uncomfortable.

Once obtained, the cell sample is placed in a small container of liquid and taken to a laboratory. In the laboratory, the cells are tested for the presence of HPV. If detected, the laboratory will automatically examine the cells for any abnormalities through a cytology test. This combination of testing for HPV and testing the cervical cells allows the laboratory to issue a report, and—if needed—make recommendations about any necessary follow-up treatments.

If your HPV test is negative, you should have a further Cervical Screening Test in five years. If HPV is detected, you will need an earlier follow-up as recommended by the laboratory and your doctor, typically within twelve months. This may involve referral to a specialist, who can detect abnormalities with a colposcope which magnifies the view of the cervix for a closer examination.

 

For more information on Cervical Screening, view The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines.

To make an appointment with Dr.Nicole Stamatopoulos for Cervical Screening, click here.