Cervical Cancer Audit Gets Green Light

30 May 2002

Cervical Cancer Audit Gets Green Light To Interview Women

The first group of women with cervical cancer will be approached next month to take part in the Audit of Invasive Cervical Cancers.

Director of Public Health Dr Colin Tukuitonga today announced that the Audit Team can contact individual women, now it has final approval from the country's thirteen Ethics Committees.

The Gisborne Ministerial Inquiry Report recommended that the Audit take place to determine the effectiveness of the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP).

"Starting from this week and continuing for the next four to five months the Audit team will make contact with the specialists and GPs of approximately 350 women diagnosed with cervical cancer between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2001. The specialists' will be asked to contact the women directly and advise them that they are part of the Audit, before the Audit team approaches them."

Each woman will be asked for her consent to be interviewed and to have her slides and clinical records reviewed.

Approximately 200 more women diagnosed with cervical cancer between 1 October 2001 and 30 September 2002 will be contacted in the following six-month period.

"I would encourage those women who are contacted to be involved in this Audit as it will provide us with a more complete picture of the effectiveness of the National Cervical Screening Programme and determine areas for further improvement.

"Although planning and design work for the Audit has been taking place during the last year, receiving approval from all of the Ethics Committees was a major milestone and means the key stage of contacting women can now proceed.

"An interim report on the Audit's findings is expected to be completed by June 2003. The Audit Team is working with health professional groups to determine the process for reporting the Audit's results.

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