Researchers at Duke University recently developed a new handheld device to be used for better cervical cancer screening. The hope is that this device will help to do away with uncomfortable exams and costly colposcopies. This new technology consists of a thin wand that can connect to cell phones or to laptops and there is the possibility that women may even be able to self-screen. It could transform screening rates and cure rates for cervical cancer in areas of the country where it is most prevalent.
What Makes This New Device so Different?
At the moment, a conventional smear test uses a speculum to widen the vaginal walls while a colposcope is a magnification device that allows medical professionals to view the cervix. The equipment can be difficult for people lacking in training to use comfortably and efficiently. This is where this wand-like device could be very useful. It is only the size of a tampon and is equipped with lights and a camera at one end. It allows health providers with only limited training to be able to obtain clear images of the cervix and it could also be possible for women to capture images of the cervix themselves.
There is the option for contrast agents to be used if necessary. Researchers found just about everybody in the trial preferred using this device compared to a traditional speculum and more than 80% of women were able to get a good image while those who initially failed just felt they needed some more practice. Now researchers are working on clinical trials and ways to automate the screening process.
Cervical Cancer Rates
Unfortunately, at the moment, cervical cancer is the fourth most common caner affecting women and every year more than 500,000 new cases are diagnosed worldwide. In the United States, gynecologists and doctors diagnose around 10,000 cases annually, while over 4,000 women will lose their lives to this disease each year. However, the mortality rate has fallen by an impressive 50% over the past forty years with the introduction of better screening programs. At the moment, although a smear test can be carried out by a non-specialist, it still needs highly trained professionals and expensive equipment to examine the results of the test.
Why Women Need Regular Pap Smears
Physicians and gynecologists recommend women have regular Pap smears. The frequency of testing can depend on a woman’s age and their risk for developing cervical cancer. Quite often a Pap smear is combined with an HPV test to determine the presence of the human papilloma virus. Women over the age of 30 should get a smear about every three years until age 65 but some women may need more frequent testing.
This could be the case if you have HIV or AIDS or any medical condition that has weakened your immune system. Women whose mothers were prescribed DES or diethylstilbestrol during pregnancy may need more frequent tests. This was a synthetic form of estrogen that was commonly prescribed up until the early 70s to help prevent premature births and miscarriages.
What to Expect during Conventional Pap Smears
Until newer technology is available, you should see your physician or gynecologist for regular and expert Pap smears. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, this test should be quite quick and painless and is simply a way to collect cells from the cervix so they can be examined under a microscope.
Some women may find they experience a small amount of spotting immediately after having a Pap smear but you shouldn’t experience any heavy bleeding. Any abnormal changes can be treated at an early stage when the cells are still precancerous. It’s worth remembering that cervical cancer is largely preventable and the tests used today are extremely effective. Up to 80% of women who are diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer will not have had a Pap smear within the past five years.
In most cases a Pap smear will diagnose minute abnormalities before they have a chance to develop into a malignancy. However, a Pap smear is not meant to detect other forms of cancers affecting the reproductive organs. These may be detected during a normal pelvic exam which can be carried out at the same time as the Pap smear.