Taking Smear tests increases chances of cure, study

Taking Smear tests increases chances of cure, studyAccording to a new study, taking smear tests results in improving the chances of being cured for women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

The research conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm in Sweden found that there was a 92% cure rate after a smear test diagnosis compared to 66% for symptoms-based diagnoses.

The researchers looked all the women diagnosed with cervical cancer in Sweden between 1999 and 2001. Researchers recorded data on 1,230 women for an average of eight years after diagnosis and found that women who took smear tests had a higher chance of cure.

The research found that the percentage of women cured after presenting with symptoms was 74% if they followed screenings recommendations. However, the women men with symptoms who did not get screening on time had a cure chance of 60%.

It was concluded that chances of being cured for all women who had a smear test within the recommended three to five years were 11% higher compared to symptoms-based diagnoses.

Dr Bengt Andrae, study author and senior consultant gynaecologist at Uppsala University, said, "Even if you have not gone to cervical screening before, go when you are invited because you have a much better prognosis than waiting for the symptoms to appear."