BMJ | 2019
Cervical screening: study “strongly supports” extending interval to five years
Abstract
Screening for high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection works well in practice and is more sensitive than cytology testing, a pilot study of more than half a million women has found.\n\nThe findings support a switch to HPV screening across England and provide reassurance that screening intervals could be safely extended to at least five years, without increasing the risk of potentially life threatening disease, say the researchers in The BMJ .1\n\nAt present, 2500 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each year in England, a quarter after a “normal” smear test result.\n\nClinical trials show that high risk HPV screening …