New Screen & Treat Method Reduces Cervical Cancer
A Columbia-Led Study of Nearly 7,000 Women Overcomes Traditional Barriers to More Expensive, Cumbersome Pap Tests for Highly Preventable & Treatable Cancer
The two screen-and-treat methods, human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), followed by treatment using cryotherapy for all eligible women with positive test results, were found to perform as well or better than traditional cytology-based screening (Pap smear) for identifying high-grade cervical cancer precursor lesions. Cryotherapy – freezing the cervix – is a relatively low-technology treatment method that has been shown to be highly efficacious with minimal morbidity. This study was the first time these methods were tested for efficacy in reducing the prevalence of cervical cancer precursor lesions.