'Wealth divide' on cervical cancer

Poorer women are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as those who are better off, according to a new report.

Professor Mike Richards will present a study to the Britain Against Cancer conference which shows a "deprivation gap", mainly caused by lower take-up of cervical screening in deprived areas.

Screening detects changes to cells which occur before the disease develops, allowing treatment to stop the cancer progressing.

The study by the National Cancer Intelligence Network (NCIN) analysed more than 25,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed between 1995 and 2004.

The report authors took the postcode of each patient and categorised it into one of five groups according to deprivation.

In the poorest areas, including parts of the North East such as Newcastle and Gateshead, and Liverpool in the North West, 12 women per 100,000 were diagnosed with the disease between 2000 and 2004. While in Surrey and on the south coast, one of the more affluent areas, only half that number were found to have the illness.

University of Leeds Professor David Forman from NCIN said: "These striking figures show there is still much more that needs to be done to tackle cancer in low-income communities.

"Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease - the national screening programme will pick up most cases before they even develop into cancer. Our figures suggest that women living in poorer areas are less likely to attend cervical screening than women who are better off, so they are more likely to develop the disease.

"Higher rates of smoking in most deprived areas and the earlier onset of sexual activity also contribute to the higher rates of cervical cancer."

All women in England aged between 25 and 64 are invited for cervical screening every three to five years, but previous NHS research showed those in deprived areas were 40% less likely to attend. According to NHS statistics, screening saves around 4,500 lives per year.

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