Tackling inequalities in cervical cancer prevention

Rachel Mealy: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, killing more than 300,000 people last year. But efforts are underway in Australia to eliminate the disease by 2035, with the aim of becoming the first country in the world to do so. Health experts say the country is on track to meet the goal, but more needs to be done to ensure indigenous and diverse communities are not left behind. Allison Hsiao reports.

Alison Xiao: Until this year, single mother Kelly Castor hadn't had a cervical cancer test in more than 10 years.

Kelly Castor: I am so glad that my doctor allowed me to do this. Because otherwise it would have taken another 11 years and probably wouldn't have turned out as good as it did.

Alison Xiao: Jabu Wurung, a Melbourne woman, went to see her doctor regularly and was persuaded by her GP to get tested.

Kelly Castor: It was life changing, easy and took 30 seconds. She then scheduled a follow-up appointment in two weeks. They found some abnormal cells so I was referred to a local hospital for further tests and thankfully nothing was wrong. But now you have to get tested every year.

Alison Xiao: But her test wasn't conventional. Instead of undergoing a full pelvic exam, Kelly Castor took a vaginal sample herself. Self-collection methods were only introduced in Australia about two years ago. This is part of the government's plan to ensure that no Australian woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer by 2035.

Marion Saville: There is no cancer other than cervical cancer that can be eradicated using current technology, so this is the only way to do it.

Alison Xiao: Professor Marion Saville is the Executive Director of the Australian Cervical Cancer Prevention Centre. She says self-collection is making a huge difference because it gives people choice and control.

Marion Saville: It is disproportionately embraced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people living in remote areas of Australia, and people from lower socio-economic communities. Therefore, these are all people who are at high risk of developing cervical cancer, and we believe that, at least to some extent, self-recovery is one of the most important tools to achieve fair elimination.

Alison Xiao: Professor Marion Saville says tackling inequalities in cervical cancer diagnosis and mortality is a key priority.

Marion Saville: In Australia, Aboriginal women are approximately two times more likely to develop cervical cancer and approximately four times more likely to die from cervical cancer than non-Indigenous women. And when you really break it down, it's about the availability and accessibility of culturally safe services. The quickest game-changer in cervical cancer cases is actually screening.

Alison Xiao: Those working in the field agree that many more challenges must be overcome if the disease is to be eradicated in just over a decade. Professor Reema Harrison is a health expert at Macquarie University. She says people living with disabilities face barriers to the healthcare system as a whole.

Reema Harrison: There are certainly some long-term changes associated with Australia's primary care reform that may offer people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop strong relationships with their primary care providers. , which will give them a safe space to consider what opportunities are available to them. Screening and what you need to do, how to do it and you will be asked questions.

Alison Xiao: Professor Reema Harrison agrees that better data is needed to ensure that people in multicultural communities don't fall behind.

Reema Harrison: Generally speaking, uptake rates for most cancer screening programs are slightly lower or significantly lower overall in some populations with multicultural backgrounds, but within communities. We don't have the nuanced data to really understand who is who. In fact, communities have low testing rates.

Alison Xiao: The federal government says it's important to ensure no group is left behind in the fight to eradicate the disease. Back in September, the company launched a $10 million awareness campaign targeting priority groups to encourage more women to get tested.

Rachel Mealy: Allison Hsiao.