A new urine test holds potential for making cervical cancer screening easier and less invasive than traditional smear tests.
Researchers from Waseda University and Kanazawa Medical University in Japan, and the German Cancer Research Centre, have developed the 'highly sensitive' test, which can pick up proteins linked to forms of the human papillomavirus, the presence of which puts someone at higher risk of going on to develop cervical cancer.
While this news is promising, right now, the available methods for preventing cervical cancer are attending your NHS cervical cancer screening, when invited, and, for those who have not had sex yet, getting the HPV vaccine. This is vital: 75% of cervical cancer cases can be prevented through the early detection which comes courtesy of screening.
Professor Etsuro Ito, who led the study, said, '[cervical] cancer can be prevented by vaccination before it develops and by regular screening. But screening is a big hurdle for young women.'
'Our new urine test can detect HPV16 E7 proteins, which are critical markers of cervical cancer risk, at extremely low levels. This means that women may be able to screen for cervical cancer without the discomfort and inconvenience of a traditional Pap [smear] test.'
'This new method holds great promise for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. We are optimistic that further development and validation of this assay will lead to its widespread use in clinical settings.'
NHS data from June stated that a third of eligible people didn't take up their most recent invitation to attend a test. Each year, 3,200 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK, according to the latest data from charity Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust. A large number of cases – experts estimate around 75% – can be prevented through the early detection which comes courtesy of screening.
Is this the first urine detection test?
This is not the first research to explore using a urine test in the early detection of cervical cancer risk. In 2019, research published by the University of Manchester found that urine testing was as effective at detecting higher risk forms of HPV as a smear test.
One hundred and four women participated in the study, with both urine-testing kits picking up 15 out of the 18 women with pre-cancerous changes to the cervix.
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