'More reassurance' needed for women over smear tests

More than a quarter of women who receive slightly abnormal smear test results are experiencing "unnecessarily high levels of anxiety", new research has suggested.

A team led by researchers from Aberdeen University measured anxiety levels in over 3,500 women with slightly abnormal smear test results and screened them for clinically significant anxiety.

When the scores were analysed, 23% of the women were categorised as 'probable cases' of clinical anxiety, and a further 20% as 'possible cases'. The study suggested that these findings were comparable with those from a study of women who had received higher-grade abnormal smear results.

Lead author, Nicola Gray of the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at Aberdeen University, said: "Our results indicate that similar levels of anxiety are being experienced among women with slightly abnormal - or low-grade - smears as among those with high-grade smears.

"This suggests that women may not understand their test results or the meaning of the term pre-cancerous and wrongly conclude that any abnormalities detected must indicate cancer.

The results also showed that women at the highest risk of anxiety tended to be younger, have children, be smokers or have the highest levels of physical activity.

A slightly abnormal test result rarely means that a woman has cervical cancer. It means that some of the cells on the smear were slightly abnormal and could become cancerous sometime in the future.

In the vast majority of cases these slightly abnormal cells go back to normal by themselves and the doctor will ask the woman to come back in six months for a repeat smear to make sure. Alternatively, the doctor will carry out another examination called a colposcopy to examine the cervix more closely and take action to treat the cells if necessary.

If the woman is treated for an abnormal smear, she is very unlikely to go on to develop cervical cancer.

The report's authors said that more information was needed to help women understand their test results, as well as more reassurance to address their fears about developing cervical cancer, could reduce anxiety levels.

Martin Ledwick, Cancer Nurse Manager at Cancer Research UK, emphasised that it was vitally important for women to understand that smear tests are all about cancer prevention.

He said: "The national screening programme is estimated to save thousands of lives in the UK every year. But if women are worried unnecessarily by the results of their smear the concern is they won't continue to go for regular checks."

Almost 3,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year. It can affect women of any age who are, or once were, sexually active and is the second most common cancer in women under 35.

Scientists have linked nearly all cases of cervical cancer to human papillomavirus or HPV. Most sexually active women will be infected with HPV at some point as it is very common, but the virus usually clears up on its own.

However, if HPV persists it can lead to changes in the cells of the cervix that may lead to cancer if left untreated.

(KMcA)