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So a new study funded by the Gates Foundation has found that HPV testing for cervical screening is superior to PAP smears. The HPV is collected and transported using a special liquid medium.
In the Discussion section:
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"The difference in the number of eligible women that were reported previously and the number reported here was due to the erroneous inclusion of ineligible women in the original report and updates of data. The randomization of groups of women in clusters minimized the possibility that those assigned to one study group would receive the intervention provided to another study group.
Our study found that a single round of HPV testing was associated with a significant decline in the rate of advanced cervical cancers and associated deaths, as compared with the unscreened control group. By contrast, there was no significant reduction in the rate of death in either the cytologic-testing group or the VIA group, as compared with the control group. The age-standardized rate of invasive cancer among women who had negative results on cytologic testing or VIA was more than four times the rate among HPV-negative women, indicating a high negative predictive value associated with a negative HPV test. The reduction in the incidence of advanced cancers and deaths associated with HPV testing probably reflects the higher sensitivity of HPV testing to detect lesions with a high potential for malignant transformation than that of cytologic testing or VIA."
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http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/14/1385
I think this will have profound implications on the practice of health care for women. Many young women come yearly to the doctor for the express purpose of the Pap smear, but if this study as unbiased and un-austrian as it is, is true, it may point towards longer screening intervals as long as 5 or even 10 years. This may be counterproductive in the long term as other important health issues may be skipped over in the health of young women.
In the Discussion section:
==================
"The difference in the number of eligible women that were reported previously and the number reported here was due to the erroneous inclusion of ineligible women in the original report and updates of data. The randomization of groups of women in clusters minimized the possibility that those assigned to one study group would receive the intervention provided to another study group.
Our study found that a single round of HPV testing was associated with a significant decline in the rate of advanced cervical cancers and associated deaths, as compared with the unscreened control group. By contrast, there was no significant reduction in the rate of death in either the cytologic-testing group or the VIA group, as compared with the control group. The age-standardized rate of invasive cancer among women who had negative results on cytologic testing or VIA was more than four times the rate among HPV-negative women, indicating a high negative predictive value associated with a negative HPV test. The reduction in the incidence of advanced cancers and deaths associated with HPV testing probably reflects the higher sensitivity of HPV testing to detect lesions with a high potential for malignant transformation than that of cytologic testing or VIA."
==============
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/360/14/1385
I think this will have profound implications on the practice of health care for women. Many young women come yearly to the doctor for the express purpose of the Pap smear, but if this study as unbiased and un-austrian as it is, is true, it may point towards longer screening intervals as long as 5 or even 10 years. This may be counterproductive in the long term as other important health issues may be skipped over in the health of young women.
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