Your mother should be encouraged to go for her test. The chances are it will be all clear and then she can have peace of mind for the next few years.

The changes in the cervix that can lead to cancer are most likely to occur between the ages of 25-65. So, women between the ages of 25 and 50 should have a smear test every three years, and between the ages of 50 and 65, once every five years. This is because the pre-cancerous changes can develop at any time. So having one normal test doesn't mean that abnormal cells will not appear in the cervix at a later date.

The cervical smear test is a very simple test, which helps prevent cervical cancer (cancer of the neck of the womb) by looking for abnormalities that could lead to cancer. If any of these abnormal changes are found they can easily be treated, so that cancer will not develop.