Scientists from Queen Mary University of London have developed a test that 100 percent. Certainly it detects cervical cancer – a cancer from which five Polish women die every day (Poland is in the leading position in Europe in terms of the number of cases of cervical cancer). The effectiveness of the test surprised even the creators themselves. “It’s much better than anything that is currently offered,” they say. Their research was published in the “International Journal of Cancer”.
Most cervical cancer is caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). You can get infected with it through sex (without a condom), but also through contact with the patient’s underwear or the use of the same hygiene items.
The current HPV test is only able to detect the presence of the virus in the body, not the real risk of developing cancer. The so-called Pap test – involves taking cell samples from the cervix and examining them under a microscope. Unfortunately, both methods are not 100 percent. effective.
The breakthrough may be the test developed by British scientists from Queen Mary University of London, which has been shown to be 100 percent. efficiently detects cancerous changes. In the studies they conducted with the use of the new test, 100% were detected. of eight invasive cervical cancers. 15 744 women aged 25 to 65 took part in them. For comparison, the above-mentioned Pap test detected only 25 percent. tumors, and the HPV test – 50 percent.
“This is really a huge step forward in dealing with HPV-infected men and women, who number in the billions worldwide. This will revolutionize research, emphasized Professor Attila Lorincz who led the study. We were surprised how well the new test can detect and predict early cases of cervical cancer. The test detected 100 percent. tumors. It is much better than anything that is currently offered, he emphasized.
According to the scientist, the launch of the test on the market may take at least five years.
Thanks to the researchers’ discovery, cervical cancer could be detected well in advance, which would give patients a chance for a complete recovery. Cervical cancer is almost completely curable – there is one condition: it must be detected at an early stage. Unfortunately, in Poland still too many women report to their doctor too late – we rank first in Europe in terms of the number of cases. What’s more, five Polish women die every day because of it.
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