For whom?
All women of 30-65 years old are invited to take part in cervical cancer screening every five years. Some municipalities also invite* women aged 25 for screening. Screening is an easy way to detect cell changes before they develop into cancer. Screening has reduced the occurrence of cervica cancer by 80 percent in Finland.
*Fimlab receives information of those invited to the screening from Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry and invites them to the examination with a personal invitation letter. The invitation letter cannot be sent to people who have a non-disclosure for safety reasons. Instead, these people need to contact Fimlab’s customer service. The screening examination is free of charge.
If you qualify for screening and have not received a screening invitation by the end of September during the screening year, contact Fimlab’s customer service to receive an invitation. If you move to Fimlab’s screening area in the middle of the year, and you receive an invitation from your previous home municipality, but you would like the screening to be performed at Fimlab, contact Fimlab’s customer service to receive the screening invitation from Fimlab. An appointment for thescreening should not be booked before you have received an invitation for the screening.
How is cervical cancer examined?
70–80 % of Finnish women get a papillomavirus infection (HPV) at some point in their lives. The so-called high-risk HPV test indicates prolonged high-risk HPV infection even before the development of microscopic precursor changes. Cell changes indicating cancer precursors can be detected in the gynaecological pap smear test, and the development of actual cervical cancer can therefore be prevented with treatment.
Examination results
Fimlab will send written examination results to all who have been examined within two months after the screening test. Whether the findings require further investigation, Fimlab will automatically refer you to further examinations in specialised healthcare and inform you of this by letter.
Do this when you receive an invitation:
- Book an appointment: fimlab.fi/ajanvaraus (24h) or call 010 808 515 on weekdays between 7 and 18.
- Fill out the preliminary information form at the back of the invitation before coming in for the examination.
Please note:
1. Pap smear tests cannot be performed while you are on your period.
2. You can continue to take any other treatments for this area (e.g. a vaginal suppository) normally but you should not take them the day before the sample is collected or on the day of sample collection.
3. Normal pregnancy up to week 35 does not prevent sampling. If you are aware of a risk of premature labour, consult your child health clinic beforehand. The sample can be taken approximately 1-2 months after giving birth.
4. If you have received a mass screening invitation to your home address, please book an appointment within one month of receiving the invitation, but no later than during the year of the invitation. Note! It is impossible to postpone your screening test until next year.
5. The examination results will be sent to you by mail within two months after the screening is done.
Collecting data to the Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry
Fimlab forwards a summary of all cervical cancer screenings to the Finnish Cancer Registry’s Mass Screening Registry, which compiles data of all screening activities in Finland. The collection of data is based on the law. In addition, the summary will be sent to the municipality that ordered the service. Personal examination results will not be disclosed in the summary that is sent to the municipalities.
