VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 26 (UPI) -- A team of Canadian researchers have announced a study to determine if a test for the human papilloma virus, or HPV, can replace the Pap test.
Researchers at th British Columbia Centre for Disease Control, the University of British Columbia and the McGill University said the seven-year study will involve 33,000 participants, the Vancouver Sun reported Wednesday.
Women ages 25 to 65, who are part of 100 participating family practices, will have the opportunity to be part of the study, the researchers said.
Participants will have a cervical sample taken by their family doctors during their regular screening appointments. If HPV is found -- it's known that a woman with HPV is at higher risk for cervical cancer -- her cervical sample will be tested to see what treatment, if any, she may require.
Study leader Dr. Andy Coldman of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control said that researchers believe the HPV test is superior to the Pap test as a screening tool for cervical cancer, but this is unknown until a comparison is made via a large study.
