American Cancer Society releases guidelines for at-home HPV test
New American Cancer Society guidelines could enhance cervical cancer screening.
The guidelines, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, indicated that an at-home test may improve compliance for human papillomavirus testing, according to a news article from Reuters. Experts cited in the article stressed that HPV is responsible for a large proportion of cervical cancers; however, the in-person HPV test may discourage up to 50% of at-risk patients from undergoing testing.
With the at-home test, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May, patients can send a self-collected vaginal swab into a laboratory for testing. Those who receive negative results are then encouraged to screen for HPV again in three years.
The experts suggested that all average-risk patients be screened every five years between the ages of 25 and 65 years if undergoing a traditional speculum-based exam. They also noted that receiving the HPV vaccine before age 17 is linked with a 90% reduction in the risk of cervical cancer.
Read more: Reuters
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