Cancer audit moves ahead

The next stage of an audit to review cervical cancer screening can now go ahead after gaining approval from ethics committees around the country.

The first of two groups of women with cervical cancer would be asked next month to take part in the Audit of Invasive Cervical Cancers, the Director of Public Health, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, said yesterday.

The audit team could begin the work because it had received final approval from the 13 ethics committees, said Dr Tukuitonga, who was appointed last month.

The Gisborne Ministerial Inquiry Report had recommended the audit to determine the effectiveness of the National Cervical Screening Programme.

The inquiry investigated retired pathologist Michael Bottrill's under-reporting of cervical cancer and high-grade cancerous cells in Gisborne from 1991 to 1996.

It had found only 15 per cent of women who had seriously abnormal smear results were initially identified, and 85 per cent of seriously abnormal slides were misread.

"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 January 1, 2000, and September 30, 2001," said Dr Tukuitonga.

"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 would be asked to agree to be interviewed and to have her slides and records reviewed.

About 200 more women diagnosed with cervical cancer between October 1 last year and September 30 this year would be contacted in the following six months.

"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," said Dr Tukuitonga.

He said receiving ethics committee approval was a milestone for the audit.

An interim report on the audit's findings was expected to be done by next June.

- NZPA

Feature: Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry

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