Cervical Cancer
Expansion of self-collection for cervical screening - Important information for healthcare professionals
From Friday 1 July 2022, the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) has expanded screening test options, now offering self-collection of a vaginal sample as a choice to all people participating in cervical screening.
Attached are key messages to help you to understand what these changes mean for you and your practice/clinic and how to work with the Pathology laboratory that processes your tests.
It would be appreciated if you could disseminate this throughout your networks. You can also find a link to the key messages on our website.
Also on our website is a new page for the general public about self-collection, go to https://www.cancer.nsw.gov.au/cervical-screening-self-collection.
A range of resources to help you promote self-collection and support your discussions with your clients, in particular Aboriginal women and is available from the National Cervical Screening Program website:
In addition to the above resources, a video interview and FAQs for healthcare providers supporting the updates to the clinical guidelines are now available through Cancer Council Australia.
National Cervical Screening Program Clinical Guidelines: Important changes for women at intermediate risk:
In light of new evidence, changes to the NCSP's Guidelines for the clinical management of women at intermediate risk will come into effect from 1 February 2021. This follows the Cancer Council Australia Clinical Guidelines review of national data from the renewed program.
It is now recommended that women with a 12-month follow up HPV (not-16/18) result with LBC prediction negative, pLSIL or LSIL (intermediate risk result) should be recommended to undertake a further HPV follow up test in 12 months' time following their previous HPV test instead of referral to colposcopy.
Further information about the changes and the revised cervical screening pathway flowchart is now on the NCSP website.
Changes to the clinical management of women at intermediate risk - frequently asked questions.
COVID-19 Update from the National Cervical Cancer Screening Program:
The National Cervical Screening Program is encouraging healthcare providers to continue to offer routine screening and follow up, understanding that patients may be feeling uncomfortable about attending for screening and healthcare providers/clinics have different capacities and arrangements for managing their patients.
To support your patients during this time, please refer to:
- Guidance for managing National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) participants during the COVID-19 Pandemic – to assist clinician decision-making on screening appointments.
- Recommended management of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the cancellation of elective surgeries – for the management of patients requiring further investigation and treatment.
This guidance is supported by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Australian Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.
Future updates will be provided on the Department of Health Cancer Screening website.
If you or your staff have any further queries, please email cancerscreening@health.gov.au.
Cervical Cancer Screening Program Officer
Lauren Walker | l.walker@cesphn.com.au
Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable – but screening is vital. Around 80 per cent of Australian women who develop cervical cancer do not get screened regularly as recommended, or have never been screened.
From 1 December 2017, women in Australia are benefiting from a new and more effective screening test for cervical cancer — it’s more accurate and requires testing less often.
CESPHN can work with practices to ensure female patients are screened through:
- Support to implement recall and reminder systems
- Support to ientify patients due and overdue for screening
- Support to implement recall and reminder systemes
- Provision of appropriate resources
- Cancer Council
- Cancer Council National GP PortalCancer Council National GP Portal
- Cancer Institute
- National Cervical Screening Program
- National Cancer Screening RegisterNational Cancer Screening Register
- Family Planning NSW
- Pregnancy, Birth & Baby
- Camp Quality
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Screening with a disability - Cervical, breast and bowel screening is important for all people, but we know that people with intellectual disability are not screened as often as they should. FPNSW have produced screening resources for people with an intellectual disability.
Cervical Screening During Pregnancy Resources
- A3 Poster in with Arabic, Bangali, Chinese, Indonesian, Mongolian, Nepali, Thai translations - pdf "Did You Know?" (311 KB)
- A3 Poster targeting Indigenous women - pdf "When's Bub Due" (863 KB)
- Translated video resources in Arabic, Bengali, Indonesian, Korean, Mandarin, Mongolian, Nepalese, Portuguese, Rohingyan, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese
For hard copies of these resources, contact the South Eastern Sydney LHD Women's Health Team