Hasit Patel, Consultant Biomedical Scientist at Cervical Screening London, tells Pathway how HSL is supporting an important new initiative.
Since January this year, over 160 GP practices across North Central and North East London have been taking part in the YouScreen study, offering HPV self-sampling to non-attendees within the NHS Cervical Screening Programme.
It’s an important new study which aims to establish an evidence-base that self-sampling can improve cervical screening coverage in England, and can increase the detection and treatment of high grade CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia).
Self-sampling means women can collect their own sample for cervical screening using a vaginal swab or brush in private and at a time and place of their choosing. HSL then analyses the samples for the presence of HPV.
The study is taking place across five London boroughs - London has consistently had the lowest uptake of cervical screening nationally.
GPs can either take the opportunity to offer kits to patients who haven’t attended screening when they present at their practice, or mail out the kits to those non-attending patients. The samples are then mailed back to the Halo for analysis on Level 8.
While self-sampling is hailed as a game- changer for cervical screening, Hasit explains that the real game-changer was moving to primary molecular testing. Cytology is now only used as an ancillary test for abnormal results.
“Around 85% of tests are negative, which means we don’t have to make slides for every sample,” he says. “It means we can process far greater volumes, faster and with a greater degree of accuracy for negative results.”
It’s anticipated that HSL will test 10,000 samples when the programme is fully rolled out.
YouScreen is being delivered by the Cancer Prevention Group at King’s College London. It is funded by the North Central London and North East Cancer Alliances and is sponsored by University College London.