Cervical cancer test

A new test offers women with abnormal Pap test results a shorter and presumably less anxious wait to discover whether they suffer from cervical cancer. Made by MDS, Inc. (Toronto), the HPV-DNA test uses the Digene hybrid capture assay to detect the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus infection, which is present in 99% of cervical cancer cases. Currently, women with suspicious Pap results must either wait out a follow-up period of up to 2 years or undergo invasive colposcopy. The new test is 90% accurate, produces results in 10 days, and can be administered by any physician, according to the company.