Pap test for mammies

I can't tell women how important is to have a pap test. The other day I got on tube to take me home and I opened a newspaper I found there. And I came across a page with a title like "How I discovered I have cervical cancer". Not the article I wanted to read about, being in a similar situation. It's like your period is late and all you see in the street are pregnant women and mums with babies in prams.

Luckily I discovered the abnormal cells early and I might not die right now. And it all started with a Pap test.

"The Papanicolaou test (also called Pap smear, Pap test, cervical smear, or smear test) is a screening test used in gynecology to detect premalignant and malignant processes in the ectocervix. Significant changes can be treated, thus preventing cervical cancer. The test was invented by and named after Georgios Papanikolaou, but was also independently invented by Aurel Babeş.

The UK's call and recall system is among the best; estimates of its effectiveness vary widely but it may prevent about 700 deaths per year in the UK. A medical practitioner performing 200 tests each year would prevent a death once in 38 years, while seeing 152 women abnormal results, referring 79 for investigation, obtaining 53 abnormal biopsy results, and seeing 17 persisting abnormalities for more than two years. At least one woman during the 38 years would die from cervical cancer despite being screened." (Wikipedia)