Cervical cancer post menopause

FormerMember over 10 years ago

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It seems most cervical cancer is experienced by young women. I am older and have completed chemoradiation treatment with brachytherapy and am now waiting to find out what has resulted.

I had passed the age of having smears and so the tumour was largish before I had any symptoms which I followed up immediately. Am I unusual or should we be pushing for smears to continue for longer?

FormerMember over 10 years ago

Hi Sue,

I guess I would be another "oldie but goodie" in this group. I think I may be a bit younger (46), but still as shocked to learn I had the disease. Glad you have the ugliness of brachy and chemo behind you, congrats to you!

I don't think we are as unusual as we think, as there were many mature women in the waiting room. I think if the cervical cancer is caused mainly by a virus, any woman at any age can contract it. I'm glad you caught yours in time, despite not having smears anymore. And yes, I think you are right, if this is the reality, smears should continue as a preventative measure for sure. Thank you for posting and again, congrats...I'm sure it will be wonderful news :). Thinking of you and keep us posted.

Regina

FormerMember over 10 years ago in reply to FormerMember

Hi Regina

Thanks for replying. You are a lot younger as I am 68 but still generally fit and not ready for my body to let me down! My friends in my age group are now asking for smears. I wish I had been forewarned.

Hoping for good news too. I will let you know.

Sue

Beth2 over 3 years ago

Hi Sue

I believe the age parameters for cervical screening were laid down in 1988 and haven't changed since despite the fact that life expectancy for women has increased since then. The following is an article, dated 1 Nov 2018 by Elisabeth Mahase, that I found on www.Pulsetoday.co.uk; I think it makes for an enlightening read (I've done a copy and paste as the link didn't seem to work):

Cervical cancer screening upper age limit could move to 75 in light of new study

The committee in charge of health screening programmes is going to review findings of a new study that recommends increasing the upper age limit for regular smear tests to 75.

Researchers modelled the benefits of cervical screening in older women, and found that increasing the upper age limit led to 'decreases in cancer risk later in life'.

Currently, the NHS carries out cervical cancer screening in women up to 65 years, but the UK National Screening Committee said it will review these new findings and ‘consider its results’.

The study, published in The Lancet Oncology, assessed the impacts of screening older women, comparing different screening tests - cytology (smear) and HPV - and projecting the risks for women who stopped screening at different ages.

They found that 'increasing the age at which women stopped cytology screening to 75 years led to incremental decreases in cancer risk later in life', with a 70 year-old woman reducing her average remaining lifetime risk from one in 588 if she stopped screening, to one in 1,206 if she had a negative cytology test.

The risk dropped to one in 6,525 if she had a negative HPV test, and one in 9,550 if she had a negative co-test for cytology and HPV.

The paper said: ‘We found that cervical cancers in later life, which might have been underestimated by policy makers because registry data generally do not remove women with hysterectomies from denominators, could be prevented in later life with cytology screening up to age 75 years.’

Senior lecturer and honorary consultant gynaecological oncologist at the University of Manchester Dr Emma Crosbie said: ‘Current UK practice is to stop cervical screening at age 65 if the exit screen is negative. However we know that the peak age incidence of cervical cancer is bimodal, the highest peak at age 30-34 years and a second peak in women aged 70-74 years.’

She added: ‘Continuing to screen women into their 70s can reduce risk further by identifying and treating premalignant disease of the cervix, although at a diminishing rate of return. These results make a strong argument for continuing screening beyond age 65 years.’

UK National Screening Committee director of programmes Professor Anne Mackie said: ‘The UK’s independent expert screening committee looks forward to reviewing the findings of this new international research and will consider its results.'

The study also found that HPV testing provides 'strong reassurance' against future risk of cervical cancer in women aged 55, potentially meaning that they may not need future tests if they get a negative result.

HPV testing is not currently carried out as a first-line test by the NHS in England, but this should be changing in the near future.

Professor Mackie said: ‘HPV primary testing will be rolled out into the English cervical screening programme by the end of 2019.’

I was diagnosed with stage 2A squamous cell cervical cancer (node negative) in 2017 following symptoms: persistent, watery, yellow vaginal discharge then post-menopuasal bleeding. My treatment was a radical hysterectomy followed by chemo-radiotherapy. My long term side effects include lymphoedema and urinary retention which I manage with intermittent self catheterisation.

JaneAustenfan over 3 years ago in reply to Beth2

This is good news!!

A x

JaneAustenfan over 3 years ago in reply to Beth2

It might be worth posting this on the Head and neck cancer forum as there are some ladies on there who were discussing their concerns about 8 months ago at no longer being screened for cervical cancer after the age of 65 as they or their husbands have been diagnosed with HPV related cancers of the head and neck.

If you type HPV in the search thing at the top of the page you may come across Beesuit and Radioactive Raz.

Hope this is useful

A x

Beth2 over 3 years ago in reply to JaneAustenfan

Hi A

I haven't been able to find either of the ladies you mention. Maybe if you know where to find them you could direct them to this thread? One thing those ladies might consider is HPV self testing of the cervix - kits are available to buy on-line and can be found by googling 'hpv self testing'. Then if they find they are HPV positive they could probably use that information, alongside their history head/neck cancer, to persuade their GP they could benefit from a smear test or maybe get a smear test privately - if affordable.

JaneAustenfan over 3 years ago in reply to Beth2

Hello Beth2

With the new website I struggled to find them too but I have created a new post on the Head and neck forum entitled Cervical screening over 65 directing them back to this thread.

Thanks again

FormerMember over 3 years ago

Hi,

FormerMember over 3 years ago

Hi Sue,

I am 54 years old and was diagnosed during lockdown after a routine smear test. I had the LLETZ treatment and the samples came back positive for cancer. I had an MRI scan and chest x-ray over the next couple of weeks. I had an appointment with the consultant booked in for 24th June but was asked to go in on the 19th at short notice. I had a total hysterectomy on 22/06, I wasn't able to have the lymph nodes removed due to other ongoing medical issues. I had a post-op infection that slowed down my recovery but even know I just feel so tired all the time. At my follow-up appointment the consultant said he thinks they got it all out but I still worry. The lady in the opposite bed to me had the same op as me and 2 years on the cancer is back and much more aggressive, I just can't get that thought out of my head. I also feel that everything happened so quickly that I am still trying to process it all.

JaneAustenfan over 3 years ago in reply to FormerMember

Hello Scarletmichaela

I am sorry to hear of your cancer diagnosis and your ongoing worry. Have you heard of Jo's cervical cancer trust? I can recommend their helpline as a source of emotional support and also the emotional issues section of MacMillan. From what I can gather it is perfectly normal to fear a recurrence. It is good that you attended your routine screening as the cancer was hopefully caught before you had developed symptoms. I don't have exactly the same experience as you but I am 56 and had never had an abnormal screening result until last year and the shock left me reeling for a while.It sounds as though you are still coming to terms with the emotional side of this. On the emotional issues pages on here the Highlander posted a link to a paper written by Dr Peter Harvey entitled "After the treatment ends. What then? which describes the rollercoaster of emotions many people feel after finishing cancer treatment. Many people find the paper very comforting. I hope this helps. Big hugs

A x

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