Point-Of-Care Test to Transform Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Diagnosis

Cervical cancer is the world’s fourth most common cancer in women. When it’s found early, it’s one of the most preventable and treatable cancers. The main screening method is an in-person Pap smear. The FDA recently approved the first at-home self-collection device, which screens for HPV, the virus that causes nearly all cervical cancers. Still, these methods can be expensive, time-consuming, and not always available. Now, a new method based on measuring cellular proteins could reduce the need for expensive laboratory equipment and training.

Researchers are now one step closer to developing a simple, at-home test to prevent cervical cancer or treat it early, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Florida Health Cancer Center (Gainesville, FL, USA) and Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN, USA). In the new study, researchers validated four proteins that were more abundant in swabs from women with high-grade precancerous lesions and tissue samples from patients. The results, published in the journal Cancers, show that the researchers found the proteins could be used as sensitive and specific biomarkers to indicate precancerous lesions and to distinguish subtypes of cervical cancer.

Image: Newly-validated protein biomarkers pave the way for a POC cervical cancer screening test (Photo courtesy of UF Health Cancer Center)

Precancerous lesions can usually be successfully treated, preventing cancer from developing. Knowing the subtype tells health care providers how aggressive or fast-moving the cancer is, helping them develop a treatment plan. Next, the researchers plan to develop a standardized way to collect and process cervical cancer samples, paving the way for a point-of-care test. Point-of-care tests are portable tests that can be done in more convenient settings than a traditional medical laboratory, and they’re usually faster.

“Our results pave the way for us to develop inexpensive, fast and accurate preliminary screening tests for cervical cancer,” said Sulma Mohammed, D.V.M., Ph.D., the study’s senior author. “This test has the potential to transform early-stage cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in areas with limited access to health care.”

Related Links:
UF Health Cancer Center