Cancer testing reaching most of target—doctor

Press, 15 September 1988, Page 10

Cancer testing reaching most of target —doctor

PA Wellington Cervical cancer screening is reaching about 70 per cent of targeted women, the Health Department chief health officer, Dr Karen Poutasi, says. A comprehensive national screening programme might only have to increase by about 30 per cent to catch everyone in the target group — all sexually active women up to the age of 65 — Dr Poutasi said. The figures also showed that screening practices were acceptable to many women, she said. Those missing out were low-in-come, Maori and older women aged 55 to 65.

Dr Poutasi was commenting on a Friday meeting between the Health Minister, Mr Caygill, and hospital and area health board officials to discuss the implications of Judge Silvia Cartwright’s report on her inquiry in to

the treatment of cervical cancer at National Women’s Hospital. The meeting had shown “very positive commitment” to Judge Cartwright’s recommendations and many initiatives to implement them had already begun, Dr Poutasi said. It was hoped a meeting or workshop on a national screening programme could be held within the next two months. Discussions would include how best to reach the women missing out on cervical screening, how often smear tests should be offered, acceptable testing procedures and promotion. Hospital and area health boards agreed at Friday’s meeting to nominate a person from their area to be responsible for cervical screening and to become involved in the national planning meeting, Dr Poutasi said. The College of Obstetri-

cians and Gynaecologists had told the department there were enough colposcopists to cope with the expected increase in examinations for a national screening programme, she said. The college said the specialists should be doing more examinations to help them maintain their expertise, rather than additional staff being brought in. In the next two weeks, the department would be meeting laboratory representatives who analyse smear tests to discuss their ability to cope with the number of smear tests expected and the establishment of a standardised reporting system, Dr Poutasi said. No decisions on funding the national screening programme had been made as costs had not yet been quantified. But it was hoped an idea of costs would be worked out this year.