THE NATIONAL CERVICAL cancer screening programme has led to 100 women being diagnosed with the disease in the first year of operation.
CervicalCheck provides free smear tests to women between 25 and 60 years of age.
In the first 12 months of the programme, 284,800 women attended screenings. Of that number, almost 85% of test results were either negative or normal.
The other 14% showed low grade abnormalities and 1.4% showed high grade abnormalities.
Of the women who had abnormal results, 11,100 were sent for further investigation and 4,700 received treatment when they underwent a colposcopy.
Tony O’Brien, Director of the National Cancer Screening Service, said that uptake on the programme was highest for women aged betweeen 25 to 29 years, and lowest for women aged 55 to 60 years.
He added that older women would be targeted in the hope that more may seek the service.
For more information about the national screening programme, register online at www.cervicalcheck.ie or Freephone 1800 45 45 55.
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