Last month, I wrote a feature on the new human papillomavirus (HPV) tests: HPV HR and HPV 16/18.
The HPV tests were recently approved by the FDA, but what does that mean for you? Dr. Michael A. Gold has some answers for you.
Dr. Gold is Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He sits on the board of the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and is an active member of many professional societies. He also conducts research in cervical cancer and pre-cancererous abnormalities.
Are HPV tests recommended in addition to Pap smears for …read more

Some researchers believe that the Pap smear may soon be a relic of the past. It could be replaced with a DNA test performed once every three or five years.

The new DNA test faces opposition though. Some doctors don’t want to start using it because the annual Pap smear is what brings in patients each year for important check-ups. Plus, old habits are hard to break.
The DNA test still requires cervical scraping, but results are read by a machine. Since the test is more accurate and does not rely on trained pathologists, it may be very beneficial to women in …read more

The Digene® HPV Test is the only such test approved by the FDA that uses advanced molecular technology to detect the DNA (genetic material) of 13 high-risk types of HPV (the virus shown to actually cause virtually all cases of cervical cancer.)
Approved by the FDA in 2003 for cervical cancer screening in conjunction with a Pap, in women age 30 and older – Digene® HPV Test – is based on proprietary “Hybrid Capture” technology, which combines two innovations from the rapidly evolving field of life sciences – DNA/RNA probes and monoclonal antibodies – to allow rapid, standardized gene testing …read more

An Australian computerized test for cervical cancer screening – ThinPrep Imager (TPI) – is being evaluated by the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes.
Dr Elizabeth Davey and colleagues from Sydney University found that using the said technology detected 1.3 more cases of frankly nasty or so-called “high-grade” cervical abnormalities per 1,000 women screened than the conventional manual slide reading.
The ThinPrep Imager would increase detection from 7.7 to 9.0 cases per 1,000 women screened and if introduced more women will not be recalled for repeat smears.
According to Richard Winder, Deputy Director of the NHS Cancer Screening Programmes:
“The ThinPrep Imager (TPI) and other imaging …read more

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 …read more