[Red Moon]

More women have tests after ‘Jade Goody effect’

A DOCTOR believes the so-called “Jade Goody effect” may be prompting more local women to come forward for smear tests, which can detect early signs of cancer in the neck of the womb.

The reality television celebrity was told she had cervical cancer while appearing on the Indian version of Big Brother in August this year.

The 27-year-old mother of two young sons underwent surgery to remove her womb in September and has since been having follow-up treatment to try and stop any further spread of the disease.

Although Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch have among the best uptake in England for cervical screening at 80 per cent, experts nationally have been worried about falling take-up among women of 25-29.

But Dr Katie Boyd, consultant pathologist at Poole Hospital, said: “I think labs across the country have noticed our workload has gone up. We think it’s the Jade Goody effect.

“A few years ago, there was a character in Coronation Street (Alma Halliwell, played by Amanda Barrie) who died of cervical cancer and we had a huge extra influx of smears. We think the same thing is happening again.”

Dr Boyd said Jade Goody’s illness showed that women did not have to be very old to develop cervical cancer. “It’s the younger women, who should be going for smears, that are not.

“Our workload has gone up and the number of abnormalities have gone up, but when you look at those women’s histories, quite a few should have had a smear test a year or so before, and haven’t.”

A year ago Poole Hospital introduced a new and improved technique, liquid-based cytology, for preparing and examining smear tests taken by GPs and practice nurses. The change means 1,500 women a year are saved from the anxiety of being recalled for a repeat test.

As well as handling 33,000 smears a year from Bournemouth, Poole and some of Dorset, the hospital took over Salisbury Hospital’s workload in September, which should boost the total to around 50,000.

“No screening programme will eliminate cancer totally, but we are hoping to reduce the incidence as much as we can,” said Dr Boyd.

Source: The Bournemouth Echo