Sexual Infection Testing Beats Normal Cancer Smear Detection Rates

A new study has revealed that a screening test for sexually transmitted infection detects more cervical severe pre-cancerous cells than conventional cancer screening tests.

The relatively new test is known as the HPV test (Human papillomavirus) and is an established cervical screening programme.

This is the first study to include the HPV test and the findings are important for cervical cancer prevention, said Dr Ahti Anttila at the Finnish Cancer Registry, who led the research.

HPV is a common sexually transmitted infection seen most often in young women and adolescents.

There are more than 100 types of HPV - some cause only genital warts, but others cause cancers including cervical cancer.

The study involved 58,282 women aged 30-60 years who were invited to participate in the routine cervical screening programme in Southern Finland between 2003 and 2005.

Women were randomly allocated to either an HPV test, with further screening if the test was positive, or to conventional cytology screening (the smear test or Pap test). Women were then tracked for a maximum of five years.

The results show that HPV screening was more sensitive than conventional cytology screening in detecting severe pre-cancerous lesions on the surface of the cervix (known as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or CIN III+).

Although the overall number of cervical cancer cases detected was small, the authors conclude that "considering the high probability of progression of CIN III lesions in women aged 35 years or more, our results are important for prevention of cervical cancer."

(LB/BMcC)