Cervical cancer can be eliminated in this country thanks to advances in screening and vaccination, the NHS has declared.
It is the first time the health service has said that a form of cancer can be beaten to the extent that cases become extremely rare. Public health officials described the announcement as “truly momentous”.
A more sensitive and reliable form of cervical cancer screening has already been introduced for all women who undergo smear tests in England. This, combined with the development of a vaccine against the virus that is known to cause almost all cases of the disease, has resulted in increased confidence that the fight against cervical cancer is being won.
The disease kills 850 women and affects 3,200 each year in Britain,