Cervical cancer not just a young woman's disease

Vaccine against cervical cancer is available.

There is a perception that cervical cancer is a young woman's disease, but half of deaths occur in women over 65, a British Medical Journal report says.

It argues that the age limit for cervical screening should be raised to 70 and older women should be targeted in health campaigns. The report says the number of older women affected is set to increase. While cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35, it continues to affect women of all ages.

Lead report author Dr Sue Sherman, senior lecturer in psychology at Keele University, said the figures suggest that older women are not getting themselves screened to prevent cervical cancer.

Prof Julietta Patnick, director of the NHS cancer screening programmes, said, "The natural history of cervical cancer means that it is unlikely that women of 65 and over who have been regularly screened and discharged from the programme will go on to develop the disease."