Off Topic - Mother aged 25 died of cervical cancer and was repeatedly told she could not have a test because she was too young.

[shaws]

You may have seen this topic on the news yesterday and the young woman has left 5 children. If you would like to sign the following Petition. It is below.

change.org/p/the-government...

[greygoose]

Signed and shared.

[galathea]

Signed and shared

[Jose651]

Signed.

[lucylocks]

Signed and shared.

This is so tragic.

[Pastille]

Signed

[puncturedbicycle]

What I don't understand is why she was not tested - ? Routine screening and testing when symptomatic are two different things. I understand the wisdom of screening a large body of the population who are at higher risk thus excluding those who are at lower risk, but if you have symptoms of cervical cancer you should be tested.

I have a friend in her 50s with stage 4 cervical cancer who went to her surgery multiple times to ask for a smear (a non-routine one outside the normal screening schedule) and was refused.

The the government are recommending longer surgery hours for gps purportedly to take the pressure off the A&E depts, which are inundated w non-emergency cases, but in fact what is happening is not that people aren't getting appointments but (as we see on this forum every day) that doctors are not testing or referring people when they present w symptoms, they're sending them home saying they're fine. When they get really ill and they still get no joy from the gp they go to A&E.

I don't see this as an issue which will be solved by routine screening but it is deffo a sign that the nhs continue to fail the patients who need it most.

[shaws Administrator in reply to puncturedbicycle]

She was at the doctors a lot of times complaining of stomach pains and asked for cervical smear and was refused as the 'guidelines' stated no-one under 25 has to be tested. It was then too late for this young woman plus the effect on family and friends.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to shaws]

No, no one has to be tested and there is no routine screening but a test isn't prohibited. If you go to your doctor w symptoms you should still be offered a pelvic examination and if there are visible abnormalities they should refer you for a colposcopy: gov.uk/government/uploads/s...

Despite her symptoms she was needlessly and callously refused testing, as many of us are.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to puncturedbicycle]

My surgery is the opposite. It takes about 3 weeks to get an appointment (so if you are actually ill you have to go to A&E). They refer you for lots of tests and then proclaim that you are normal - it doesn't seem to matter what tests they are, I've never had any treatment as the result of test since the 1990s

[shaws Administrator in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I have just looked at the guidelines for the NHS and it is clear - no females under 25 years of age:-

When cervical screening is offered

Women aged 25-64 who are registered with a GP are automatically invited for cervical screening.

This includes women who have had the HPV vaccination, as the vaccine doesn't guarantee complete protection against cervical cancer.

The letters should be sent out to women:

aged 25 to 49 – every three years

aged 50 to 64 – every five years

over 65 – only women who haven't been screened since age 50 or those who have recently had abnormal tests

nhs.uk/Conditions/Cervical-...

puncturedbicycle Gcart Treepie Angel_of_the_North

[puncturedbicycle in reply to shaws]

Yes, screening and testing are not the same thing. Screening is not offered because something like 25% of young women under 25 would show abnormalities and be sent for painful, invasive treatment, although the vast majority of abnormalities would clear on their own. If you have symptoms you should be offered testing.

So just to be clear, screening (testing everyone) is not thought to be useful or beneficial for young women, but anyone between the ages of 20-24 who has symptoms is entitled to be examined and referred if any abnormalities are found, as per the guidelines I posted above.

This article explains it pretty well: theguardian.com/commentisfr...

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to puncturedbicycle]

I don't remember it being painful, even at 18 - being stretched with the speculum was the worst bit - the actual scraping you couldn't really feel at all. My GP tested all sexually active adult women back then. Probably no point doing 16 year olds as routine, but at 18 you are an adult ...

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Yes, this is the other side of the coin. Testing and not treating is an even more egregious waste of time and money than not testing.

[amasufindme]

Thank you - shared and signed!

[MARSRED]

Signed and shared

[Gcart]

The failure is with the individual GP. Surely that lady should have been listened to and followed up.

Sadly not unusual that patients arent heard!😒 Not sure mass screening is the answer, money needs to go where the need is.

That money could be used to smarten up the service at point of need in some way. 🤔🤔

More care is what is needed

More empathy , more listening by The people we put our trust in to help when we are poorly.

[puncturedbicycle in reply to Gcart]

I agree, they have tried screening and at this age it was not found to be helpful. It results in a lot of unnecessary treatment and distress. The WHO says screening should begin not later than 30 and that '[t]here were many unanswered questions about women aged 20–35 years' so it looks like this is an area where the thinking needs to be refined. It does seem obvious that the HPV vaccine would save a lot of women's lives and perhaps that would be a better use of funds.

[Treepie]

When will joe public learn that the NHS is not all embracing wonderful.Many countries have better results in specific areas and others spend more.Time to stop NHS and social care being a political football and to investigate other countries systems and practices.

[Angel_of_the_North]

That's odd. I was offered tests as soon I turned 18 and have just been told that I'm now too old to be offered them any more. It really was better in the 70s.

[ThyroidThora]

Signed and shared. Fingers crossed it gets enough signatures.

[amala57]

Signed

[Justiina]

Over here in finland screening starts at age 35 , every five years, but you can ask to get tested without seeing a doctor. Nurses can do the testing.

But many of us go to private gynaecologist anyway as they actually examine you properly so we get tested quite often from young.

Or you can get tested in any private hospital without referral.