This new cervical cancer test detects the disease with 100 percent accuracy
| Updated: Dec 21, 2018, 12:12 IST
Researchers are constantly on a look out for newer ways to detect cancer as detecting the disease in early stages can help save a life. A recent test, as discussed by the University of London, screened for the development of cervical cancer up to five years in advance.
A trial conducted in Canada pitted the new ‘epigenetics-based’ test against Pap smear and HPV tests with women aged 25-65 as the subjects. The test basically focuses on naturally-occurring chemical markers on DNA that make up its ‘epigenetic profile’ rather than patterns in the genetic code that indicate the HPV virus. When they concluded the test, they found that it detected 100% of the eight invasive cervical cancers that developed in 15,744 women involved in the study. Pap smears only detected 25% of the cancers, while the HPV test found 50%.
Professor Attila Lorincz, the lead researchers who also helped develop the first HPV test in 1988 said that this new test should decrease the number of doctor visits and screen appointments since the disease would be detected at the start and if fully implemented, would be cheaper than the Pap smear.
This test could pave the way for further and more detailed tests to detect cancer more acurately in the future.
A trial conducted in Canada pitted the new ‘epigenetics-based’ test against Pap smear and HPV tests with women aged 25-65 as the subjects. The test basically focuses on naturally-occurring chemical markers on DNA that make up its ‘epigenetic profile’ rather than patterns in the genetic code that indicate the HPV virus. When they concluded the test, they found that it detected 100% of the eight invasive cervical cancers that developed in 15,744 women involved in the study. Pap smears only detected 25% of the cancers, while the HPV test found 50%.
Professor Attila Lorincz, the lead researchers who also helped develop the first HPV test in 1988 said that this new test should decrease the number of doctor visits and screen appointments since the disease would be detected at the start and if fully implemented, would be cheaper than the Pap smear.
This test could pave the way for further and more detailed tests to detect cancer more acurately in the future.