Eliminating a cancer is a remarkable goal for humanity and Australia is set to be the first in the world to achieve this feat. However, last year was a reminder that cancer doesn’t stop for anything and we mustn’t get complacent.
In the aftermath of COVID-19, it is important we move into 2021 with renewed focus to achieve this goal. It’s estimated that approximately half (50%) of invited or eligible Australian women have either not participated in screening for cervical cancer, or are not up to date with screening. Now, with the drop in cancer screening during COVID-19, there is concern this figure may grow and Australians are being urged to go and get their health checks.
By detecting pre-cancerous changes cervical screening can enable treatment to prevent cervical cancer developing, as there is a time lag from when abnormalities form to when cervical cancer develops, often a decade or two in most patients, although this may be shorter in some patients.
