Data stacks up for HPV screen

Replacing the traditional Pap smear with HPV testing as the primary screen for cervical abnormalities would see more pre-cancerous lesions detected, research suggests. High-risk HPV testing, followed by a Pap smear in women positive for the virus, was more sensitive than conventional screening, the Finnish trial of more than 70,000 women found.Overall, 7.2% of women screened by HPV with cytology triage were recommended for intensified follow-up compared with 6.6% of women screened by conventional cytology screening alone.Although some experts have warned the HPV test lacks specificity, this study found it was just as specific as conventional screening when coupled with cytology triage. It was even more specific in women aged 35 and over. An accompanying editorial in the Journal of...