HPV test is better than Pap smear at detecting cancerous cervical changes, study says
Source: The Washington Post
By Laurie McGinley
July 3 at 11:00 AM
A test for HPV detects precancerous changes of the cervix earlier and more accurately than the Pap smear, according to a large clinical trial published Tuesday.
The randomized, controlled study — the kind of trial considered the "gold standard" of research — showed that the human papillomavirus test is more sensitive than the Pap smear, a widely used test that has been a standard part of women's preventive health care for decades but has several drawbacks.
Several experts predicted the results would spur efforts to entirely replace the Pap test with the HPV test. "It's an important study," said Jason Wright, a gynecologic oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center who was not involved in the study. "It shows that doing HPV testing alone provides a high degree of accuracy" on who might be at risk for cervical cancer.
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, and is usually eliminated by the immune system within a year or two year. But when an infection persists, it can cause cellular changes that develop into precancerous lesions and, eventually, malignancies. Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV infections.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/07/03/hpv-test-is-better-than-pap-smear-at-detecting-cervical-pre-cancer-study-says/