Giving women who smoke advice on quitting when they go for cervical smear tests could be an effective way of saving even more lives - according to new research published today in the British Journal of Cancer (vol 96, issue 7, pp 1057-1061). If introduced, the measure could benefit hundreds of thousands of women every year.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, found that brief stop smoking advice, given by trained practice nurses as part of routine cervical screening, increased women's intention to quit. Previous research shows that increased intention to quit is a good indicator that people actually will.
Smoking is a well known cause of lung cancer and other life-threatening diseases. But it also doubles a woman's chances of developing cervical cancer. Women who smoke are more likely to have abnormal smears, and the pre-cancerous cell changes associated with these are less likely to respond to treatment.
Read the press release for more information.
