Cancer Screening and Cervical Cancer Prevention Week

22 Jan 2024

Cancer screening saves lives.

Screening for cancer involves testing seemingly healthy people for any signs of cancer so doctors can potentially find it at an early stage – or even prevent it from occurring at all!

This week is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week and we would like to shine a light on the importance of attending your screenings whenever you possibly can.

Cervical screenings, or smear tests, can be daunting, but the benefits are huge. By catching cancer early, the likelihood of successful treatment increases dramatically. Cancer can occur in outwardly healthy bodies, and cells can change in the cervix without presenting any symptoms; this means that without a screening, cancer could stay undetected until it has progressed to a later stage.

Cervical screening is offered to anyone with a cervix, however we encourage trans and nonbinary people to contact their GPs to ensure they will receive the correct invitations for their needs. This screening is offered from the ages of 25-64.

While it is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week, we would like to urge everyone to attend their cancer screenings, whatever the type. If you are registered with a GP, you will automatically be invited for the three national cancer screening programmes in the UK: bowel cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer.

If you have symptoms of cancer, don’t wait for a screening invitation – get in touch with your doctor as soon as possible.