Thank you for your support of cervical cancer research through your participation in the Compass Trial, even though recruitment has closed, the Trial is ongoing and is due for completion five years from 2020.
You are one of over 76,000 Australian women helping improve cervical cancer prevention.
We now know that long term infection with certain types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. The Compass Trial is comparing HPV testing to the Pap smear for cervical cancer screening.
In the Compass trial, you will have a test taken from your cervix in exactly the same way as you would usually have a routine Cervical Screening Test except that the cells will be put into a liquid rather than onto a glass slide. This liquid sample can be used to make a Pap smear or a HPV test. Some women in this trial will have a Pap smear, some women will have a test for HPV.
If the HPV test is negative, the likelihood of developing cervical cancer is so low that it is safe to leave the next screening test for 5 years. If the HPV test is positive there is a chance of having or developing abnormal cells on the cervix so further tests need to be done.
This trial is being conducted by The Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer and The Daffodil Centre.