Audit into cervical smears could take a further 12 months

11.45am

An urgent audit of cervical cancer smears will not be completed for up to 12 months, the Health Ministry says.

The audit was a key recommendation from the ministerial inquiry into Gisborne pathologist Michael Bottrill's under-reporting of cervical cancer and high-grade cancerous cells from 1991 to 1996.

Interim results were originally expected by next month.

The ministerial inquiry found that just 15 per cent of women who had seriously abnormal smear results were initially identified and 85 per cent of seriously abnormal slides were misread.

The audit is examining the cases of women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer between January 1, 2000 and September 30 last year.

Director of Public Health Colin Tukuitonga said today results would not be ready for up to 12 months.

"The size and complexity of the project always meant it was going to be much longer than planned," Dr Tukuitonga said.

"It is not possible to rush projects of this nature, as their entire validity and usefulness depends on the proportion of women who agree to participate and the quality of the information collected."

He said a response rate of at least 80 per cent would be ideal for the audit.

"By taking this length of time we have managed to achieve this rate for both Maori and non-Maori women. This means the audit should produce some very useful information that will enable the National Cervical Screening Programme to be improved for all women."

Dr Tukuitonga said a review of cervical slides had recently commenced in Australia.

- NZPA