It was two years ago when reality television star Jade Goody died from cervical cancer at the age of just 27. The one good thing that happened after her death at a tragically young age was that millions of women went to have smear tests to get their own health checked.

However, over the past year the numbers going for the test have fallen by 300,000 after reaching a peak of 3.6 million. But why is it so important to have a smear test, and does this simple and essential procedure always deserve the bad press it usually receives?

The purpose of the cervical smear test (Papanicolaou test) is to screen for changes in the cells of the cervix (the neck of the womb), which is how experts can detect potentially cancerous growths, usually caused by sexually transmitted human papilloma viruses (HPVs). It’s not a test to diagnose cancer, it’s a way to prevent cancer from developing.

Let’s face it, smears may not be the best experience in the world, but they are extremely important in the early detection of possible cancers or other problems of the cervix.

The prime reason why Jade died so young was because she hadn’t had a smear test and therefore her cancer was not spotted early enough to be treated effectively. But the two-year anniversary of her death has helped to highlight the importance of having the test.

Going for a test
Any woman in the UK who is over the age of 25, especially those who are sexually active are asked to attend a cervical smear test at least every three years during their adulthood, up until they are 50 and then every five years until they are 65 years old. The problem is that the smear test doesn’t have a great press. Even though it’s a simple procedure, it’s not pleasant and this can put women off.

So what exactly happens in a test? It normally takes place at your GP surgery, a hospital or in an outpatient clinic and will be performed by a doctor or nurse. The practitioner will ask you to lie back on a couch, put the soles of your feet together and drop your knees down.

After she’s asked you to relax as much as you can, she inserts an instrument called a speculum to open the vagina and separate the vaginal walls, allowing her to clearly see the cervix and examine it for obvious abnormalities.

She will then use a small instrument to remove some cells from the cervix which can then be sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Most women find the procedure uncomfortable, but this is usually because they are tense and this tension makes access to the vagina difficult. Some will bleed a little bit afterwards too, but the whole procedure is over very quickly.

Normally, the results will be ready in a few weeks’ time. It’s usually best to check with your GP about how you will be able to get the results of the smear test.

The results
These usually take about six weeks. In most cases you will receive a letter, or you may be given the results over the telephone. In most cases – about nine out of 10 – the result will show that the cervix is normal and healthy and another test will be scheduled in three years’ time.

Some results may mean you will need further investigation because abnormal cells have been spotted. Occasionally, the result comes back as inconclusive so you will be asked to have another test.

For a small number of women, a more detailed examination will be needed to rule out any possible abnormalities, which will normally be a procedure called a colposcopy. This is when a gynaecologist will examine the surface of the cervix using a magnifying instrument known as a colposcope. Although cell changes cannot be seen directly, the fine blood vessels under the cervix develop in a characteristic way during cell changes. Biopsies will also be taken from the cervix where the cell changes have taken place.

When it’s more serious
Cervical cancer is not uncommon but in recent years the number of cases has fallen due to cervical screening tests. However, there are still more than 2,000 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed each year in the UK and most of these occur in women who have never had a screening test, or who have not had one for many years. Cervical cancer can be prevented if you have regular screening tests. It is estimated that up to 3,900 UK women are saved from cervical cancer every year due to cervical screening, so it’s well worth going for the test.

If you are unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with cancer, treatment can include radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. Of all those women diagnosed with cancer of the cervix, about 68 out of every 100 (68%) will live for at least five years and about 66 women out of every 100 (66%) will live for more than 10 years after diagnosis. Younger women have a better survival rate than older women and this is partly because the disease tends to be diagnosed at an earlier stage among younger women.

For more information, go to www.cancerhelp.org.uk.

Dr Chris says... 'When you are called for a smear test do go, it's not to check for cancer, it's to find early changes. It's important because if any changes are found, it can be easily treated.'