Government officials in Scotland are apologizing after a woman that was excluded from a cervical cancer screening program died of the disease.
The woman, who has not been identified, underwent a subtotal hysterectomy prior to her death. That is a procedure in which a woman’s womb is removed but not her cervix.
Read More“These exclusions from the cervical screening program should not have happened and I want to apologize to all those affected by this error.”
This all came to light after a routine audit of national health records revealed that five women who had not been alerted to the screening program were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and that one of those women had passed away. Todd also offered “heartfelt apologies” to those women who had been diagnosed with the disease as well, and their families.
Government officials have now sent out letters to approximately 430 women who may have been impacted by this fatal flaw. Those letters inform the women that they should be screened as soon as possible, unless they did in fact undergo a full hysterectomy. At the same time, there have also been efforts to reassure the public that only those women who received letters have reason for concern.
"There is no need for anyone who does not receive a letter to take any action, but it remains important for everyone, whether affected by this issue or not, to be alert for symptoms of cervical cancer and contact your GP practice if you have any,” declared Todd on the floor of Parliament.
Samantha Dixon, the chief executive of the charity Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, said that while health officials were working quickly to contact those who were excluded from screenings there also needed to be “swift action to identify what went wrong and ensure it cannot happen again.”
This could just be the beginning of the problem as the number of women impacted may grow much higher in the coming weeks. Officials are only now starting to review medical records prior to 1997 to look for additional individuals who may have been excluded from these screenings.
The Scottish cervical screening program began in 1988, and invites women between the ages of 25 and 65 to get a routine check-up by a medical professional. Women who fall in that age range but have had a complete hysterectomy are not contacted by the program as they are not at risk of developing cervical cancer.
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The Emotional Impact of a Hysterectomy
Treatment paths for cervical cancer may vary depending on the stage of the cancer and whether or not a woman wants to maintain her fertility. A hysterectomy may not always be the best option for cervical cancer treatment. There is much to consider before the procedure, especially since it can result in total infertility.
Dr. Jeanne Carter is a sexual psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, she explained that hysterectomies may have a positive or negative emotional impact depending on a patient’s relationship with the body part that is removed.
“Having those parts removed can be very devastating for them especially in some of our young patients who might have wanted those organs for reproductive options and may have to build families in different ways,” said Dr. Carter. “Any time a woman loses part of her body, it’s what that part of the body symbolized to them that really affects how they feel and adjust to it.”
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