The state's leading cancer body is concerned that as many as 10 per cent of women are putting themselves at risk of developing cervical cancer by skipping their regular Pap smear, which can detect early signs of cancer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Cancer Institute NSW believes this is because some women are confused by a forthcoming change to the national cervical cancer screening program.
The institute says there appears to be a fall off in the number of new Pap tests being reported to the state's central registry, and that women are confused by media reports on the new testing program.
A government committee has recommended a new cervical cancer test be adopted that will mean women only need to be tested every five years, rather than every two years at present. If the recommendation is accepted, the change will not occur until at least 2016.
Cervical screening program manager Anna Burnham said the institute had surveyed more than 900 women in NSW and found that one in 10 would consider deferring a Pap smear, given the changing nature of the testing program.
"The news has got through to a lot of the population [that the program is changing] and I think maybe it is influencing them to put off the test, on top of the normal barriers people talk about, such as it not being comfortable," she said.
Although the central register appeared to be showing a drop in the number of tests being done, the data would need to be analysed and verified before being made public.
Ms Burnham said she was concerned that recent media coverage of research into methods to replace Pap smears, for example testing urine, could have given women who were already reluctant to be tested an excuse not to.
"[The urine test] is nowhere near as effective,", and it hasn't been through the rigorous tests that the proposed changes went through, but it's just another thing for people to grab on to," she said.
"We are really lucky that we have a low incidence of cervical cancer in Australia but it is only because the screening program has been so successful," she said. "It would be awful if women stop having the Pap test because they think the test is going to change, and then they don't get diagnosed in the meantime."
Ninety pre cent of 10 women diagnosed with cervical cancer had not had regular Pap tests, or had never had a test, she said.
What is in a test?
Traditional screening: A sample of cells is taken from the cervix to look for changes in cells that indicate they are pre-cancerous. Done once every two years, between the ages of 18 and 70.
Proposed new test: Cervix cells are tested for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that can cause cellular changes that can lead to cancer. Looking for the problem in its earlier stages means the test need only be done every five years, between the age of 25 and 74.
Urine test: A recent analysis in the British Medical Journal found that HPV can be detected by a urine test but it would only be suitable for women who have not undergone Pap tests.
