Cervical Cancer

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.

Important information for healthcare professionals – Expansion of self-collection for cervical screening –

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:

• National Cervical Screening Program – Video – Cervical screening explained
• National Cervical Screening Program – Poster – A new and better test for women (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander)
• National Cervical Screening Program – Self-collection and the cervical screening test for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
• National Cervical Screening Program – Visual Guide – How to collect your own vaginal sample for a Cervical Screening Test (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women)
• National Cervical Screening Program – Video – How to take your own Cervical Screening Test sample (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women)
• National Cervical Screening Program – a guide to understanding your cervical screening test results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

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.