DNA testing for the human papillomavirus should replace the Pap smear as the main way to screen women for cervical cancer, according to Italian researchers.
DNA testing for the human papillomavirus should replace the Pap smear as the main way to screen women for cervical cancer, according to Italian researchers. Their recommendation is based on a study that found that the human papillomavirus (HPV) test prevented more cases of cervical cancer than the conventional Pap smear.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women. Globally it affects 500,000 women. The majority of these women live in developing countries, including over 100,000 in India alone. The Pap smear is considered a great defence against cervical cancer. The test can detect cervical changes early (nearly 10-15 years) before they turn into cancer.
The Pap smear, first introduced in the 1950s, looks for changes in the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer. The HPV test works a step further back in the process, looking to see if women are infected with HPV. HPV causes cervical cancer, which remains a significant health problem, particularly in less resource-rich areas of the world.
To assess the efficacy of cervical-cancer screening policies that are based on HPV testing, Italian researchers compared HPV testing alone with HPV testing plus a Pap smear in 94,370 women, aged between 25 and 60 years.
During the first phase of the study, women (35 to 60 years) who tested positive for HPV were given a cervical examination, called a colposcopy. Younger women got a colposcopy if their Pap smear was abnormal or if HPV results were positive several times, indicating that their body had not been able to clear the infection. Screening for HPV DNA was found to be appearing more effective in older women, but the testing in younger women led to over-diagnosis of a particular type of cervical lesion.
It was concluded that HPV-based screening is more effective than cytology in preventing invasive cervical cancer, by detecting persistent high-grade lesions earlier and providing a longer low-risk period.
The HPV test should become the screening tool of choice for women 35 and older and it could be done less frequently than the Pap test, which could be used only in women who have tested positive for HPV, the researchers recommended.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Indian women. Globally it affects 500,000 women. The majority of these women live in developing countries, including over 100,000 in India alone. The Pap smear is considered a great defence against cervical cancer. The test can detect cervical changes early (nearly 10-15 years) before they turn into cancer.
The Pap smear, first introduced in the 1950s, looks for changes in the cervix that could lead to cervical cancer. The HPV test works a step further back in the process, looking to see if women are infected with HPV. HPV causes cervical cancer, which remains a significant health problem, particularly in less resource-rich areas of the world.
To assess the efficacy of cervical-cancer screening policies that are based on HPV testing, Italian researchers compared HPV testing alone with HPV testing plus a Pap smear in 94,370 women, aged between 25 and 60 years.
During the first phase of the study, women (35 to 60 years) who tested positive for HPV were given a cervical examination, called a colposcopy. Younger women got a colposcopy if their Pap smear was abnormal or if HPV results were positive several times, indicating that their body had not been able to clear the infection. Screening for HPV DNA was found to be appearing more effective in older women, but the testing in younger women led to over-diagnosis of a particular type of cervical lesion.
It was concluded that HPV-based screening is more effective than cytology in preventing invasive cervical cancer, by detecting persistent high-grade lesions earlier and providing a longer low-risk period.
The HPV test should become the screening tool of choice for women 35 and older and it could be done less frequently than the Pap test, which could be used only in women who have tested positive for HPV, the researchers recommended.
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