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Almost 200 HPV-positive smears through CervicalCheck need repeat test after samples expire

The samples expired after an increase in the number of cervical smear samples being sent in.

ALMOST 200 HPV-POSITIVE smear samples from May and April carried out by CervicalCheck will have to be re-tested after the samples expired before further examination could be carried out. 

The samples expired after an increase in the number of women coming forward to be screened as part of the CervicalCheck programme, particularly during the month of May.

Smear sample turnaround times have since “caught up” and are going through the labs “in good time”, the head of the National Screening Service has said.

The clinical director of CervicalCheck has said the women affected will be contacted “in the coming days” but that it is “very important” to state that the positive HPV tests are “very unlikely” to mean the women will develop cervical cancer.

CervicalCheck is sending out letters to inform GPs today, and the 180 women who are affected are to receive their letters from tomorrow. It is understood that informing GPs first is the usual protocol, in order to have the necessary supports in place for women.

The women’s repeat tests will be taken three months from now, so that cervical cells have a chance to grow back and yield the best smear samples.

It is understood that the 180 women who are affected will be prioritised for retesting, and are expected to wait around four to six weeks for their repeat cervical-smear test result.

There is currently an 8-10 week turnaround for smear test results at the moment, meaning some of the thousands of women who are waiting for their smear results may be concerned that they are among this group of 180 women.

How HPV testing works

CervicalCheck still screens for abnormal cells that can cause cervical cancer, but the way that they do it has changed.

Previously, a cytology smear test was carried out first to look for any cervical cell abnormalities, and then if that test found an abnormality, women were referred to a colposcopy clinic to test whether those abnormalities were low-grade or high-grade.

But studies have shown that the results are better if you test for HPV in cervical cells first, and if it is found, then refer the woman on for further examination (cytology).

HPV is very common virus with no noticeable symptoms. Over 90% are cleared by the body’s immune system after two years, but in some cases, HPV can develop into cancer in both men and women.

What caused the delay in testing

RTÉ News first reported this morning that in 180 samples tested positive for HPV, but they were not sent on for cytology examination within the required period of 42 days.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, clinical director of CervicalCheck Dr Nóirín Russell said that the tests were not carried out in time because of the backlog in testing caused by the suspension of services last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

There were actually 200,000 samples sent during the first half of this year and that was 50,000 more than we had been expecting. Our ability to screen that number of samples, whereas the vast majority did get processed and did get fully processed and fully screened, in approximately 200 samples we were able to test for HPV, the first part of the test, but we weren’t able to look at the cytology or look at the cells, the second part of the test because the samples expired.

The tests affected were mostly from May, with some from April and some also possibly from March. Patient advocate groups were told of the issue late last week. 

Dr Russel said that supports are currently in place to answer women’s questions:

“We have staff have ready on the info line ready to take calls to explain and to reassure, so all of those steps are in place and we’re expecting that the affected women will get their information in the next few days. That information will be in the form of a letter explaining that they’re HPV positive and that they need to have a repeat test,” she said. 

It’s really, really important that women who hear this, who hear HPV positive, know that it’s very unlikely to mean cancer but it’s really important they attend for that second test.”

CEO of the National Screening Service Fiona Murphy said on Today with Claire Byrne that 13% of smear tests come back positive for HPV, and are referred on for further examination, but this is just one “risk factor” for developing cervical cancer.

She said that CervicalCheck had been expecting to receive 140,000 samples in the first six months of the year, and instead got almost 200,000 samples.

She said they came close to processing all these additional samples, but 200 samples expired.

I can only say sorry that we didn’t do that for those 200 women… Part of the trust and confidence [issue] is to tell people when we make a mistake. We won’t hide anything, when we make a mistake [we say] mea culpa and this is how we’re fixing it.

She said additional capacity has since been added to the system.

“Samples expire in labs across the whole country all the time. It’s normally very small numbers, the vial itself may have expired, or sometimes we have to ask for a retest because there’s not enough of a sample in the vial, or somewhere along the way from the GP to the Post to the sample collection centre it just takes too long.

We’re always aware of it, we’re always doing what we can to try to minimise that, but in this particular instance, because of the large volumes in mid-March and through early May, we weren’t able to process all of them.

The helpline for women who may have queries is now live and can be contacted on 1800 45 45 55.

Cervical screening with HPV testing prevents cervical cancer from developing in 90% of cases. An effective and free cervical cancer programme, coupled with high uptake rates of the HPV vaccine, could together eradicate cervical cancer.

From 2015 to 2017, there were 264 cases a year of cervical cancer in Ireland. Of that number, around 160 women a year are diagnosed via the CervicalCheck programme (around 60% of all diagnoses).

Each year in Ireland, 90 women die of cervical cancer. Without a national cervical smear programme, the numbers could double: 320 women could be diagnosed, and 180 women could die.

With reporting by Gráinne Ní Aodha.

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    Mute Daniel O' Connor
    Favourite Daniel O' Connor
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    Jul 19th 2021, 9:54 AM

    Tony will want this brushed under the rug as usual

    275
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    Mute Nora McElhinney
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:13 AM

    @Daniel O’ Connor: and without even a red face…..

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    Mute Seán O'Sullivan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:20 AM

    @Daniel O’ Connor: that’s why it was publicly announced by the media ….because they want to keep it quiet ?

    104
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    Mute Maurice O Neill
    Favourite Maurice O Neill
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:09 AM

    Well we were saying all along that COVID-19 was going to affect other services in the health system. And now you have it laid bare and it will only be the start of an avalanche of other issues arising from Covid over the coming years

    189
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    Mute Declan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:52 AM

    @Maurice O Neill: Only the tip of the ‘collateral’ damage that is to come from the lack of balance with covid in the last year. If only we had a government who would lead and not hide behind Tony ego…

    85
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    Mute Elaine Phelan
    Favourite Elaine Phelan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:52 PM

    @Maurice O Neill: I don’t think anyone ever claimed that there wouldn’t be an impact on the hospital system and other illnesses. In fact, quite the opposite. NPHET kept saying that covid needed to be kept under control so that the health system wouldn’t collapse. Of course there were going to be negative consequences to shutting things down, but the alternative would have even greater negative impacts. There was no ideal solution to a once in a century global pandemic

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:25 AM

    God almighty HSE in this country has a lot to answer for including the government

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    Mute Cat Reid
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    Jul 19th 2021, 9:45 AM

    Always something with Cervical Checks!

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    Mute Nora McElhinney
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:11 AM

    Women get the short end yet AGAIN….

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    Mute The next small thing
    Favourite The next small thing
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:25 AM

    @Nora McElhinney: you are dead right Nora, I mean you never hear any problems from the male cancer screening services, oh wait, that’s because there is none. Maybe get rid of CervicalCheck and BreastCheck and that would level the playing field.

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:00 AM

    @The next small thing: Dont be so ridiculous. Thanks to the Bowel screening my husbands cancer was spotted in the early stages. One operation and 10 years later cancer free.

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:03 AM

    @Franny Ando: Also prostate test done every year.

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    Mute Clare McAfee
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    Jul 19th 2021, 12:08 PM

    @The next small thing: I think you need to go to your GP and discuss cancer risks, and available screening for men. All men should elect to have bowel cancer screening if in the over 60s age group. Unless you have a cervix and boobs that are prone to cancer, maybe don’t make such flyaway comments.

    51
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    Mute Inno Items
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    Jul 19th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @The next small thing: Are there no cancer check ups for men in Ireland?
    In Germany for men the first check up is for skin cancer at the age of 35. From the age of 45 prostate and genitals are added to the check up and from the age of 50 the check up includes colon cancer check ups as well. These are free yearly check ups.
    The problem we have in Germany when it comes to cancer prevention in men is that many of them are rather reluctant to attent these yearly check ups. The compliance compared to the women is quite poor.

    Women tend to attend their yearly cancer prevention checkups usually.

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:52 AM

    Again the HSE not for for purpose ,again mouthpiece on trying to defend the delays , out of date tests with issues ,women to be tested again wait for new results and she says there is small Risk due to the delay , 2ho is she kidding , first she needs to go and Reid before her , accountability does not exist in the Health Service

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    Mute Sean O'Doherty
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    Jul 19th 2021, 1:22 PM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: Have you got a hangover, Will?

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    Mute Adrian O'Donnell
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:48 AM

    Tony? Paul? Care to comment? Nope?

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:00 AM

    It’s tragic but you can’t keep blaming one man all the time. The labs are backlogged, staff are short etc. This is a tragic circumstance for sure and I’m sure there will be many more unfortunately. I’m one of the lucky ones, I know, mine came through with no hiccups, and I sincerely sympathise with all the women involved.

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:04 AM

    @Anna Carr: unfortunately you have to blame one man , he gets the big bucks to run the system and it appears broke

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    Mute Anna Carr
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:22 AM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: so be it but could you do a better job for “big bucks”?

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    Mute Niall Ó Cofaigh
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:24 AM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: what did people do before 2008?

    What about all the people who were detected early and treated? Does the man on the big bucks get credit for this. This does not excuse what happened but to forget the good and focus only on the bad is wrong too. I am sure that a man who lost his wife to cancer would have first hand knowledge of the pain and suffering and would do anything in his power to avoid others going through what he did. Some things are outside the control of an individual

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    Mute Willie Bill Bryan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 12:09 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: doesn’t wash you get the big bucks to manage

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    Mute Gazza Lazza
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    Jul 19th 2021, 12:28 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: so we should just focus on the part where the man being paid the “big bucks” actually did his job & completely ignore the morally & ethically corrupt decision by the same man, to say nothing for 2years, while in that time 200+ developed cervical cancer because it would be negative PR for the labs?

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jul 19th 2021, 12:59 PM

    @Niall Ó Cofaigh: these people in charge are supposed to be Qualified to do the job their getting stupid amounts of money for but obviously there not or don’t care women are dieing because of their couldn’t care less attitude

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    Mute bigbrownduck
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    Jul 19th 2021, 1:15 PM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: blaming him isn’t going to increase staffing levels in the labs though is it?

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    Mute Elaine Phelan
    Favourite Elaine Phelan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 10:57 PM

    @Willie Bill Bryan: he doesn’t really get big bucks. His salary was publicised recently and he could earn a lot more in private practice, without all the hassle. His salary is €186k. Ronan Glynn is something like €104-126k.
    For context the avg wage in Google is €108k, with most employees selling ads.
    The average income for private consultants/doctors is €470k so he would be much better off doing that if he was all about the money. https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/consultants-earn-more-than-1bn-in-three-years-to-treat-private-patients-38558199.html

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    Mute Elaine Phelan
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    Jul 19th 2021, 11:01 PM

    @Willie Bill Bryan:  he doesn’t really get big bucks. His salary was publicised recently and he could earn a lot more in private practice, without all the hassle. His salary is €187k. Ronan Glynn is something like €104-126k.
    For context the avg wage in Google Ireland is €108k, with most employees selling ads for that money.
    The average income for private consultants/doctors is €470k so he would be much better off doing that if he was all about the money. https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/health/consultants-earn-more-than-1bn-in-three-years-to-treat-private-patients-38558199.html

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