The Pap Smear has long been the standard test for women when it comes to checking for precancer of the cervix. But according to a recent study in the New England Journal Of Medicine, there is a new screening test that is twice as sensitive as the Pap Smear. It is called the human papillomavirus (HPV) test. It can potentially detect cancerous strains of HPV, the cause of cervical cancer in women.
The test uses machines that scan cells taken from the cervix for the DNA of the cancer-causing strain. So the error rate is very low--5.4 percent, compared to the 44.6 percent for the Pap Smear, in which a lab technician checks your cells through a microscope.
This is good news for women, indeed. Be sure to ask your doctor about this new screening test for cervical cancer at your next check-up! The earlier any cancerous cells are detected, the better!