Catch up HPV screening project

Project Description

In 2019, HPV testing replaced cytology (a smear) as the first (primary) cervical screening test. This project will offer a catch-up HPV test to women now aged 65-79 who exited the screening programme before ever having a primary HPV test. This will identify women at risk of developing cervical cancer. To save women from the sometimes-painful intimate examination necessary for a traditional smear, we will ask them to send a urine sample which is just as good for picking up HPV. We hope this will encourage women who were not screened regularly to take part. Women testing HPV positive will be referred to a research colposcopy clinic for further tests and treatment. The research will be done working with GP practices in Manchester and Hull, first inviting 3,000 women to test how it works, and then inviting a further 15,000 women, aiming to screen around 10,000 women. We will compare uptake rates, levels of HPV and diagnoses of pre-cancer and cancer between those who have been previously regularly screened and those who have not. This will allow us to estimate whether all women aged 65-79, including those who were screened regularly, would benefit from a catch-up programme.