Each year, more than 1,000 women still die from avoidable cancer. Here is what experts recommend to protect themselves in time.
A simple exam to detect cervical cancer
Toyah Myall was 33 years old when she finally took the plunge. After eight years repeling her screening smear, this British mother of four children discovered that she had cervical cancer. It was in February 2025. Two minutes of exam, that she described today as salutary. Because a few weeks later, the results fell: it suffers from an epidermoid carcinoma, a form of potentially preventable cancer if the screening had taken place earlier.
Eight years without smear … then he saves her life!
The facts are simple, but the shock is immense. Toyah had no symptoms, no pain, no warning sign. And yet, in March 2025, a telephone call turned his daily life. The verdict falls after analysis of the biopsy: abnormal cancer cells have been detected. She then began a double laser treatment session to eliminate lesions. In May, the news is reassuring. Toyah then decides to make his history public to alert other women.
“”These two minutes saved my life. I had no symptoms. It was real roller coaster“She testifies in the columns of Mirror. A strong declaration, up to the fear it has overcome. Because if the examination is fast and without major pain, it remains feared by many women.
What experts recommend for screening
In France, since January 2024, invitations to detecting the cervix have been sent by health insurance to patients who have not carried out screening within the recommended deadlines. The health authorities recommend a smear every three years, between 25 and 65 years, if the results are normal. The first two exams must be spaced one year old. “”Subsequently, the right frequency depends on the age and life of the person, if the smear is normal and the woman has no report, it is enough to make one every 2-3 years. On the other hand, in a young woman who has reports, I recommend doing it every 18 months approximately“, Specifies Dr. Nasrine Callet, gynecologist and oncology at the Institut Curie, during a previous article.
However, according to the latest health insurance data, four out of ten women do not respect this rate of detection for cervical cancer, or simply do not do it. Each year, around 1,000 women still die from this cancer. The main reason raised remains the embarrassment. Some women fear the examination position, partial nudity or the relationship with the practitioner.
Fears that doctor Martin Winckler knows well. He suggests alternatives to reassure patients, such as changing the position during smear. “”We can examine otherwise, like what is done in England, that is to say by lengthening the woman on the side. And patients are not forced to undress completely!“, he specifies in L’Express.
Vaccination, complementary prevention weapon
Beyond screening, prevention also involves vaccination. Since 2021, girls and boys can benefit from the Human Papillomavirus Infections (HPV) infections from the age of 11. Two or three doses are enough to considerably strengthen the defenses against the types of HPV responsible for the majority of collar cancers.