Research and analysis

Cancers diagnosed in the National Cancer Data Repository

Updated 25 May 2022

Applies to England

This is one of a series of summaries produced for the campaign, each focusing on a different evaluation measure (referred to as a metric) which reflects a key point in the patient pathway. These metrics should not be considered in isolation. Please refer to the considerations when interpreting these results.

Main finding

The first national ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign appears to have had an impact on the number of cervical carcinomas in situ diagnosed.

Background

This metric considers whether the first national ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign had an impact on the number of newly diagnosed cervical cancers, uterine cancers and cervical carcinomas in situ. We might expect to see an increase in cervical and uterine cancers and cervical carcinomas in situ if the campaign increased general awareness of cervical cancer among women of screening age, and encouraged more women to attend for screening.

Methods

Data was extracted from the national cancer analysis system for the diagnosis period January 2018 to December 2019. The data was grouped into weeks and adjusted to account for bank holidays. The analysis period was from 18 March 2019 to 27 October 2019. The comparison period was between 19 March 2018 and 28 October 2018.The analysis considered the number of newly diagnosed cervical cancers (ICD-10 C53), uterine cancers (ICD-10 C54-C55) and cervical carcinomas in situ (precancerous cells on the surface of the cervix that can become malignant defined as ICD-10 D06 with morphology code 80772 for cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN3) and with morphology code 81482 for cervical glandular intra-epithelial neoplasia (CGIN)) in women for all ages and the two screening age groups: 25 to 49 years (invitations every 3 years) and 50 to 64 years (invitations every 5 years). A likelihood ratio test was used to calculate the p-value for statistical significance between the analysis and the comparison periods.

Results

Figure 1 below shows the trend in the number of newly diagnosed cervical carcinoma in situ per week for women of all ages, women aged 25 to 49 years and 50 to 64 years from January 2018 to December 2019. The number of cervical carcinomas in situ per week shows variability before, during and after the campaign with an increase around the campaign.

Figure 1: Number of newly diagnosed cases of cervical carcinoma in situ by week, England, January 2018 to December 2019, for women all ages combined, 25 to 49 years and 50 to 64 years.

Figure 2 below shows stable trends, with weekly variation in the number of cervical and uterine cancers per week for women of all ages, women aged 25 to 49 years and 50 to 64 years from January 2018 to December 2019.

Figure 2: Number of newly diagnosed cases of cervical and uterine cancers by week, England, January 2018 to December 2019, for women all ages combined, 25 to 49 years and 50 to 64 years

All ages combined, comparing the analysis period with the same months in the previous year

There was a statistically significant increase of 6.5% (12,642 in 2018 to 13,465 in 2019; p<0.001) in the number of cervical carcinomas in situ. This was mainly driven by the numbers of CIN3 that showed a 6.5% statistically significant increase (12,004 in 2018 to 12,789 in 2019, p <0.001). There was a non-statistically significant increase of 5.9% of CGINs (639 in 2018 to 676 in 2019, p=0.301) (Figure 1).

The number of cervical and uterine cancers increased by 0.2% (6,973 in 2018 to 6,990 in 2019; p=0.886). The number of cervical cancers increased by 5.2%. (1,698 in 2018 to 1,785 in 2019, p=0.138). The number of uterine cancers decreased by 1.3%. (5,275 in 2018 to 5,204 in 2019, p=0.491). These changes are not statistically significant (Figure 2).

Women aged 25 to 49 years, comparing the analysis period with the same months in the previous year

There was a statistically significant increase of 6.0% (11,279 in 2018 to 11,951 in 2019; p<0.001) in the number of cervical carcinomas in situ. This was mainly driven by the numbers of CIN3 that showed a 5.9% statistically significant increase (10,693 in 2018 to 11,326 in 2019, p <0.001). There was a non-statistically significant increase of 6.6% of CGINs (586 in 2018 to 625 in 2019, p=0.269) (Figure 1).

The number of cervical and uterine cancers increased by 5.4% (1,338 in 2018 to 1,411 in 2019; p=0.167). The number of cervical cancers increased by 6.9%. (984 in 2018 to 1,053 in 2019, p =0.130). The number of uterine cancers increased by 1.2%. (354 in 2018 to 358 in 2019, p=0.873). These increases are not statistically significant (Figure 2).

Women aged 50 to 64 years, comparing the analysis period with the same months in the previous year

There was a statistically significant increase of 30.8% (691 in 2018 to 904 in 2019; p<0.001) in the number of cervical carcinomas in situ. This was mainly driven by the numbers of CIN3 that showed a 31.4% statistically significant increase (653 in 2018 to 858 in 2019, p <0.001). There was a non-statistically significant increase of 21.7% of CGINs (38 in 2018 to 46 in 2019, p=0.368) (Figure 1).

The number of cervical and uterine cancers decreased by 1.3% (2,157 in 2018 to 2,130 in 2019; p=0.677). The number of cervical cancers increased by 2.8% (380 in 2018 to 390 in 2019, p=0.705). The number of uterine cancers decreased by 2.1% (1,777 in 2018 to 1,739 in 2019, p=0.524). These changes are not statistically significant (Figure 2).

Conclusions

The first national cervical screening campaign appears to have had an impact on the number of cervical carcinomas in situ diagnosed, for all ages.

There was no evidence to suggest the first national ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign had an impact on the number of cervical and uterine cancers diagnosed.

Get advice on the signs and symptoms of cancer from the NHS website. You can also find out more about the evaluation of Be Clear on Cancer campaigns.