Cervical cancer could be eradicated, but more than 26,000 Brighton and Hove women have missed vital screenings

An estimated 14 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in Brighton and Hove every year, according to the most recent figures from Public Health England – a rate of ten cases for every 100,000 women.

But scientists have predicted the cancer could soon be a thing of the past, after plotting the long-term effects of high levels of smear test screening and vaccination.

Professor Karen Canfell, who led the new study published in The Lancet Oncology journal, said: “Despite the enormity of the problem, our findings suggest that global elimination is within reach with tools that are already available, provided that both high coverage of HPV vaccination and cervical screening can be achieved.”