A CANCER TEST TO SAVE MORE LIVES

A NEW cervical cancer test that will save dozens of lives a year will be launched in the summer.

It is set to end the scandal of smear test screeners missing cases of cancer and will virtually eliminate the agony of patients being recalled for second tests.

The current test, which is more than 40 years old, uses a glass slide to collect cells taken from the cervix. These are then examined under a microscope, but the process can be unclear, leading to mistakes.

With the new Liquid Based Cytology test, the cells are sent to a laboratory protected in a sealed bottle of liquid, producing more accurate results.

The Government's National Institute of Clinical Excellence is set to approve the new test after successful trials involving 200,000 women.

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