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The American Cancer Society has endorsed the use of self-collected vaginal samples for cervical cancer screening in average-risk women, which experts say will improve access to testing and early detection. The new guidance published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians introduces 2 major updates, allowing for self-collection for primary human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and also clarifying the related screening cadence. Clinician-collected cervical samples have long been the standard for cytology-based screening, but research has supported self-collected vaginal specimens for average-risk individuals aged 25–65 years. Evidence shows that polymerase chain reaction HPV testing on self-collected samples offers sensitivity and specificity comparable to clinician-collected specimens.
Home testing option: The recommendations apply only to combinations of collection devices and HPV assays approved by the Food and Drug Administration for HPV testing in a clinical setting or at home. Most patients who test positive for HPV will require follow-up. There are nearly 14,000 cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the United States each year and more than 4,000 women die from the disease annually.