Timely, tailored care for women at risk of cervical cancer

When it comes to preventing cervical cancer, early detection and timely treatment make all the difference. At Western Health, the Colposcopy Clinic team plays a crucial role in this process, seeing around 1,200 patients each year across nine clinics every fortnight. It is one of the busiest services in the state, led by Dr Anthony Richards, head of the Colposcopy service at Sunshine and Bacchus Marsh Hospital.

‘Once diagnosed with high-risk features on their CST (pap smear), patients are referred to the colposcopy clinic for diagnosis and possible treatment,’ Dr Richards explained.  

‘This is the next step in the process of preventing cervical cancer from occurring or diagnosing it if it is present.’

Colposcopy involves applying two special solutions on the vagina and cervix that changes the colour of any abnormal cells, making them easier to identify. If any are found, a small tissue sample (biopsy) is taken for further testing.  

To ensure women requiring further treatment were seen in a timely manner, Dr Richards introduced his own key performance indicators (KPIs) that gave each woman a risk category and were therefore seen according to this.  

‘These parameters are very stringent, more so than even national benchmarks in order to see these patients in a timely and effective manner,’ he said. These triage guidelines include:

• Very High risk: Seen within a very short timeframe (mostly between two four weeks) – 90% compliance expected
• High-Moderate risk: Seen within an urgent timeframe (usually within eight weeks) – 80% compliance  
• High-Medium risk: Scheduled appropriately while still ensuring timely review (usually within three months) – 70% compliance expected  

‘We’re not just working through a list,’ Dr Richards said. ‘We’re making sure the women who need care most urgently, get it fastest.’

Dr Richards said the introduction of the new testing pathway has also meant women who may never have been screened before are now being tested and receiving any treatment required. Self-collection tests allow patients to collect their own sample in privacy, improving access for people from non-English speaking backgrounds, Aboriginal communities, and those who have previously avoided screening.  

This means more women are being diagnosed with abnormalities earlier and receiving the right care at the right time. While this has increased the referral base slightly, it opens up new access to many under-screened, at-risk patients to be managed effectively to prevent cervical cancer.