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A new test for cervical cancer halved deaths from the disease in women in India, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The test detects human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes cervical cancer, and was found to be more effective at preventing death than the traditional Pap smear used to screen for the disease in the UK.

"This study clearly shows that HPV screening is more sensitive to picking up precancerous lesions than the other tests," said co-author Dr Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, a radiation oncologist at the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France.

He added that nearly all the women who tested negative for HPV infection at the outset were cancer free by the end of the study.

Women should visit the doctor for tests every three to five years for a smear test to detect pre-cancerous changes to the cells in the cervix, whereas the HPV test requires fewer visits.

These results strengthen the case for changing the cervical cancer screening process, particularly in developing countries where multiple doctor visits are too expensive for many women.

In autumn 2008, a programme was launched to vaccinate all UK schoolgirls against HPV to protect against cervical cancer in later life.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 at 5:00 pm and is filed under Cancer, Medical Developments and treatments.