Study Finds New Version of QIAGEN's HPV Test for Developing Countries Could Reduce Risk of Cervical Cancer by More than Half When Combined With Appropriate...(Sellors MD Senior MedicalAdvisor at PATH...),Health

Date:11/7/2007

Sellors, MD, Senior Medical Advisor at PATH and START project director, discussed the results of an economic model that projected the impact if women in low-resource countries were to be tested with FastHPV just three times in their lives -- 5 years apart, after age 35. This analysis found that cervical cancer could be reduced by 56 percent, assuming that the majority of women participated and effective treatment is available. The best results would be achieved when using a "screen-and-treat" approach that allows women found to have the virus to be treated for possible disease in the same visit. Standard protocols in North America and Europe call for women with a positive HPV test to be re-screened later to confirm that the infection has not naturally resolved, and/or to confirm the presence of cervical disease with a biopsy. However, this is not feasible or affordable in low-resource settings, and many women would fail to return for the required follow-up visits.

Dr. Sellors and his colleagues add that while vaccination of adolescents against the most common types of HPV would be expected to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer even further, its cost-effectiveness will depend on price and the ability to ensure compliance with the necessary protocol, which currently calls for three shots over six months.

About HPV and cervical cancer

Worldwide, cervical cancer affects nearly 500,000 women annually and, after breast cancer, is the second-most-common malignancy found in women. Cervical cancer is caused by "high-risk" types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which are sexually transmitted. It's estimated that 80 percent of women will get an HPV infection at some point in their lives. However, in most cases, the infection goes away or is suppressed by the body without causing problems. It is only infections that persist that can cause abnormal cells to form that may develop into cervical cancer if not detected and treated early. One report from the
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SOURCE QIAGEN N.V. Copyright©2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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