New, cheap HPV test could prevent cervical cancer in areas where pap testing is not feasible.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

A new rapid test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, has proven to be 90 percent accurate in a trial involving women in rural villages in eastern China[...]. [It] was designed to detect 14 high-risk types of HPV in about 2.5 hours. It can be operated by staff with minimal training and without any running water[...]The trial involved 2,388 women [...]who were given instruments and instructions to collect specimens themselves.

Currently, acetic acid visualization is sometimes used for cervical cancer screening in areas where pap testing is not available. (Warning: clinical pictures of cervixes.) According to the Washington Post, this new test may be better than the "screen and treat" approach used with acetic acid visualization.

Comments

[gemfyre.livejournal.com]

eek, I was JUST reading this headline on Google news. Like, I flicked tabs and found myself reading the same thing. :)

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

that is excellent.

[nightchild01.livejournal.com]

How do they do it? Blood test? I looked at the article but maybe I missed it. But if I could do it here I'd be more likely to do it than get a pap (I'm highly traumatized about them; just the thought gives me panic attacks and if I know I have to get one I'm a nutcase for two weeks).

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

I don't know for certain, since the article didn't say, but I seriously doubt it's a blood test. If it's like this study (ttp://community.livejournal.com/vaginapagina/11372946.html) or this one (http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/177/5/480?maxtoshow=&HITS=8&hits=8&RESULTFORMAT=&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&fulltext=HPV+vaccine&andorexactfulltext=phrase&searchid=1&resourcetype=HWCIT), it could be a self-collected vaginal swab. You are given an extra-long q-tip which you insert vaginally and rotate three times. The swab is then tested for HPV.

[nightchild01.livejournal.com]

Hmm... Thanks! >_> I'd even go for the self thing. I've tried talking doctors, in the past, to just let me have at with a mirror but they give me this look and tell me no.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

They may think you can't find your own cervix and/or won't get cells from the transformation zone (actually up in the cervical canal), but honestly I think this attitude is really tacky and wrong. (Did they give any explanation as to why they think you can't do it?) Most people could probably do their own pap tests with instructions and a mirror.

However, the beauty of HPV testing is that it's about as simple as inserting and removing a tampon. I ended up participating in the U of Washington study (http://depts.washington.edu/hpvstudy/)in my post from a year ago, and it really is just a self-collected swab--I've done it three times. That study got extended, so it's still going on, but I don't know if they're still taking new volunteers. Something like that might be an option for you if that's really what you want.

The downside of HPV testing is that while it has a higher detection rate than pap tests, it also picks up HPV infections that have yet to cause--and probably will never cause--cervical abnormalities. So you could test positive for HPV and never have an abnormal pap test.

[nightchild01.livejournal.com]

They just tell me that I Can't Do It and won't explain why. It's really annoying 'cause I CAN locate my cervix even without the duck-lips. I'm with you and think most women could do their own pap if they had the equpment.

That would be lovely but I don't think they'd take me since I'm in Colorado and can't afford to travel?

Yeah, that would be a problem. I'm just always on the look out for something that won't make me a complete nut for two weeks before and after (seriously I lose a month of fuctionality when I have to have a pap).

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

That would be lovely but I don't think they'd take me since I'm in Colorado and can't afford to travel?

You don't ever see anyone in person; I live clear across the country from Washington State. They send you a kit via FedEx, you take the sample and send it back in a prepaid envelope. However, looking at the parameters for this study and your profile it appears you may not be old enough. I don't think it would hurt anything to email or call and say "I'd love to do this HPV study but I'm only 21, is there anything I can participate in?" The worst they can do is say no, and they might notify you if another study opens up.

I should also add that of course, since it's a study, self-collected sampling for HPV isn't approved by anything yet, so you're relying on it at your own risk.

I know I've found at least one self-test for HPV available for sale online, but it took a lot of digging, and I was never sure if it was open to US residents.

[nightchild01.livejournal.com]

Oh that's awesome! Boo about maybe not being able to do it because of my age, but if you can give me a link or just plain an email address I'd contact them about it.

Yeah, but, I don't get pap tested regularly at all because it's really hard losing a month and just getting that stressed out over things. I'm highly phobic of needles (to the point that I pass out 'cause I get panic attacks) but I'd seriously rather have to get a blood test every six months than have to get a pap every year ;-;

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

http://depts.washington.edu/hpvstudy/

For more information, or to enroll, call 206-543-3327 or 1-866-820-7833 (toll free) or email hhhstudy@u.washington.edu. The contact name is Sandra O'Reilly.

[nightchild01.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[dayglow.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure I'd be satisfied with 90% accuracy in places where modern medical care is available. BUT in places like rural China or Africa, it could be a life-saver. I hope they do more development and get this going.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

Pap tests are only 50-80% accurate, though. The reason why they work is that cervical cancer takes so long to develop and you repeat the pap test so often--if the test misses abnormalities, it gets another chance to catch them the next time you have one.

[dayglow.livejournal.com]

Really? I had no idea.

[marionravenwood.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I would imagine liquid-based pap tests are closer to the 80% accurate end of the spectrum, but still.

If a precancerous lesion is present, the Pap test will detect it only 50 percent to 80 percent of the time. Pap testing is effective only because it is done often; a lesion can take 10 years to turn into a cancer, so a yearly test will probably find it in time. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/health/16pap.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)

Also:

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/papsmear/PAP_accurate.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21348319/