HPV Test, Better Long-term Predictor Of Cervical Cell Abnormalities Than Pap Smear in Older Women

The traditional Pap smear is still the best initial cervical cancer screening tool for younger women.

A new large Danish study however, found that a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) is a much more effective way of screening for potential cancer in older women (age 40 and above).

The researchers specifically found that the absolute risk of developing cervical cancer in an older woman who tests positive for HPV is greater than 20 percent within a 10-year period. They also note that most women who test positive for HPV also test negative on a Pap smear given at the same time.

As reported in the November 1 issue of Cancer Research, according to the researchers, the reason is that: HPV infection is both frequent and transient in younger women, and they would often test positive for HPV when no actual risk of cervical cancer existed.

While in order women, HPV infection is rarer and more persistent, putting a woman at substantial risk for the disease before changes in cervical cells (detected by Pap smears) are obvious.

According to the study’s senior author, Susanne Krüger Kjaer, M.D., professor and head of the Department of Virus, Hormones and Cancer at the Danish Cancer Society:

“We have documented that a single HPV test can actually predict older women at risk for cervical cancer better than a single Pap smear can.

Based on these results, we feel that an HPV test would benefit older women, whether or not that test is used in conjunction with Pap smears, or used by itself as an initial screen.”

Find more details from the AACR press release.