HPV DNA testing for cervical cancer

ATLANTA, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has recognized the potential benefit of HPV DNA testing for cervical cancer.

A new publication for healthcare professionals entitled "Human Papillomavirus: HPV Information for Clinicians" says "molecular tests can be used to detect HPV DNA. The only such test that is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration is Digene's Hybrid Capture II HPV Test."

"In international cross-sectional studies that examined both cytology -- Pap testing -- and the HPV DNA test, the sensitivity of a single Pap test for identifying cervical disease or cancer ranged from 33 percent to 94 percent, while adding the HPV DNA test to conventional cytology increased the sensitivity to 87 percent to 100 percent," the report states. "Women who are HPV DNA negative and cytology negative are at very low risk of having cervical disease or for developing it."

The first HPV vaccine has been approved for girls and young women ages 9 to 26 and can protect against the two types of the virus that are responsible for 70 percent of cervical cancers.

"Although this vaccine offers a promising new approach to the prevention of HPV and associated conditions," says the CDC, "this vaccine will not replace other prevention strategies, such as cervical cancer screening."