Women's health • February 14, 2023

An increase in cancer cases – too few young women get tested

Eirin Myrvang Berg

Marketer

As part of the cervical cancer screening program, the Norwegian Cancer Registry recommends that all women aged 25 to 69 have a cervical smear test every 3 or 5 years. However, many in the youngest age group fail to get tested – and now we are seeing an increase in the number of cancer cases among young people.

Trust the recommendations from the Cancer Registry. Get tested.

It is the safest way to avoid illness.

Only 40% followed the screening programme

There has been a lot of buzz around the screening program recently when a documentary on TV2 revealed a number of misinterpretations of tests. It has subsequently been shown that the figures presented there were was not completely correctly produced.

Approximately 400 cervical smears are taken each year, of which approximately 000 are taken in the age group 90 to 000. Around 25 women develop cervical cancer annually, but only 33% of those who developed this type of cancer in 300 had followed the screening program and taken a cervical smear.

That percentage is far too low, and is an important reason why not all cancer cases are caught before it is too late. In addition, in recent years we have seen a sharp increase in HPV infection in society, which is an important factor in the development of the vast majority of cases of cervical cancer.

Change in testing routines

Now the Cancer Registry is taking steps to pick up even more cases among those who actually follow the program. From July 1, 2023, new routines will be implemented for cervical cancer testing also among the younger age group 25 to 33 years. From then on, all women will be tested for HPV, instead of looking at the cells from the cervix under a microscope (cytology test). This has previously been routine only for women from 34 to 69 years of age.

The reason for the changes is that the Cancer Registry hopes to pick up more pre-cancerous lesions earlier, and thereby prevent the development of the disease. An HPV test is more sensitive for detecting pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix than a cell sample interpreted under a microscope.

Many positive HPV tests

The disadvantages of HPV screening for young people are that many will get a positive HPV result because this virus is very prevalent in this age group. This may be experienced by some as unnecessarily stressful. However, by far the few who have a positive HPV test will develop cancer.

The reason HPV is more prevalent in the younger age group is that it is a sexually transmitted virus, and therefore more common in this age group than in those who are older and in established relationships. Therefore, more young people will get a positive HPV test without necessarily being at risk of developing cancer. At the same time, we will catch more cancer cases – which is the most important thing.

According to the Cancer Registry, HPV screening will reduce the number of cancer cases by 44 each year in the age group 25 to 33. But it requires that women actually get tested.

This text was written in consultation with Solveig TingulstadShe is a gynecologist at Medicus, and former senior consultant at the Women's Clinic at St. Olavs Hospital. Solveig also has a doctorate in ovarian cancer and has led a global research effort on cervical cancer.

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An increase in cancer cases – too few young women get tested

Only 40% followed the screening programme

Change in testing routines

Many positive HPV tests

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