New technique for cervical cancer screening

New Delhi: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in the country among women aged between 15 and 44 years. The necessity of proactive and periodic screening stems from the fact that cervical cancer is a preventable and curable condition if detected in the asymptomatic stages.

Unfortunately, in India, there continues to be a major gap in the awareness levels in women regarding screening, especially while still asymptomatic. This results in delayed diagnosis, making it critical to understand the advantages of screening and opting for appropriate testing methods.

BD SurePath Direct to Slide (DTS), is a unique Liquid Based Cytology (LBC) test intended to be used for screening and detection of cervical cancer, pre-cancerous lesions, atypical cells and all other cytological categories.

It offers the availability of residual sample for conducting important additional follow-up tests without the need for repeat sampling.

According to Dr. Minaxi Desai, Ex-Director, Manchester Cytology Centre, cervical cancer can be prevented by screening women systematically through organized population-based programmes. She further added, "Given that cervical cancer ranks as the 2nd most frequent cancer among women in India, it is a time that screening should become a part of their routine health check-up. Women undergoing screening should opt for LBC since it has demonstrated the ability to detect abnormal cells at the initial stages of pre-cancer thus, preventing cervical cancer from progressing."

Traditionally, conventional pap smear, a simple and quick test has been the mainstay of cervical cancer screening. However, this method has limitations in preparation technique and its ability to detect every abnormality, which makes it important to move towards a more efficient technique.

Dr. Jaideep Malhotra said, "Liquid-based cytology significantly increases the detection rate of cervical cancer compared to conventional PAP even at initial stages. Access to LBC has been limited to highly sophisticated lab settings so far. With the launch of DTS, access to quality cervical cancer screening will increase and we recommend an early diagnosis through screening by LBC to significantly enhance the chances of timely and successful treatment."

"Early detection of cervical cancer and its malignant precursors is imperative for survival. In India where women's health is a priority, we are glad that BD SurePath DTS will be able to enhance the standard of patient care, representing the next milestone in cervical cancer screening," said Pavan Mocherla, MD, BD-India.

BD SurePath Direct to Slide technique has been introduced by BD Life Sciences-Diagnostic Systems, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company.