PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Cervical cancer: DNA-based test more accurate than repeat smear ('Pap')

2013-03-28
(Press-News.org) In women who have a potentially or mildly abnormal cervical smear, using a DNA-based test can identify those at higher risk of having precursors of cervical cancer, according to a new Cochrane systematic review. The authors found that the DNA-based test identified patients in possible need of treatment more accurately than a repeat smear test.

Cervical smear ("Pap") tests are carried out to identify women who might be at high risk of developing cervical cancer. Cells collected in the smear test are examined under the microscope. If abnormalities are seen, a patient may be asked to undergo further tests to determine whether the abnormalities are serious and whether treatment of pre-cancer is required to prevent cancer developing. Sometimes the cells examined from the smear are not clearly normal or abnormal (referred to with the acronym 'ASCUS' or 'borderline nuclear changes'), whereas other types of cells identified are only mildly abnormal (referred to as 'LSIL' or mild dyskaryosis). The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus, although only a small number of women who carry the virus go on to develop cervical cancer. The Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2) assay is a DNA-based method that tests for DNA from those strains of the virus that are higher risk for cervical cancer.

The authors compared the HC2 test with a repeat conventional smear test as a way of prioritising possible cases that have cervical pre- cancer. They reviewed 39 studies involving a total of 13,196 women. Compared to a repeat smear, the HC2 test more accurately identified women with pre- cancer.

"Based on these findings, the HC2 test can be recommended as a way of triaging women with an ASCUS smear," said lead researcher, Marc Arbyn of the Unit of Cancer Epidemiology at the Scientific Institute of Public Health in Brussels, Belgium.

However, the HC2 test over-called the risk of pre-cancer in women with LSIL abnormalities and the researchers conclude that more specific tests are needed to triage women with LSIL. "The use of the HC2 test in women with LSIL abnormalities in their smear test results should be carefully considered," said Arbyn. "It may be more accurate in older women with these abnormalities, but it is important to take into account the local cost of further, more invasive tests and to avoid unnecessary referrals and anxiety."

### URL Upon publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/14651858.CD008054.pub2


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Prebiotics: Do supplements in baby formula help prevent allergies?

2013-03-28
Prebiotic supplements in infant formula may help to prevent eczema, according to a systematic review published in The Cochrane Library. However, the review highlights a lack of high quality evidence for the effects of prebiotics in preventing allergies. It is thought that bacteria lining the gut may play an important role in a child developing sensitivities to certain foods and allergens, regulating immune responses and determining how they will react to the same substances in later life. Prebiotics are indigestible components of breast milk, fruit and vegetables that ...

A new way to lose weight?

2013-03-28
Scientists at Harvard may have new hope for anyone who's tried to fight the battle of the bulge. New research, conducted in collaboration with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, has found that the gut microbes of mice undergo drastic changes following gastric bypass surgery. Transfer of these microbes into sterile mice resulted in rapid weight loss. The study is described in a March 27 paper in Science Translational Medicine. "Simply by colonizing mice with the altered microbial community, the mice were able to maintain a lower body fat, and lose weight ...

Genetics might determine which smokers get hooked

2013-03-28
DURHAM, N.C. -- Researchers have identified genetic risk factors that may accelerate a teen's progression to becoming a lifelong heavy smoker. The team of scientists from the U.S., the U.K. and New Zealand examined earlier studies by other research teams to develop a genetic risk profile for heavy smoking. Then they looked at their own long-term study of 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to age 38 to identify whether individuals at high genetic risk got hooked on cigarettes more quickly as teens and whether, as adults, they had a harder time quitting. Study participants ...

Restrictive Medicaid eligibility criteria associated with higher rates of delayed medical care

2013-03-28
Boston – Effective health screening and preventive care is known to reduce health care costs and improve health outcomes, yet new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) shows that restrictive Medicaid policies are associated with patients delaying needed medical care due to cost. States and counties with the most restrictive Medicaid eligibility criteria (where individuals must be far below the federal poverty level to qualify for Medicaid) have the highest rates of delayed care. This research appears in the March 28, 2013 issue of the New England Journal of ...

Scripps scientists image deep magma beneath Pacific seafloor volcano

2013-03-28
Since the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s, scientists have known that new seafloor is created throughout the major ocean basins at linear chains of volcanoes known as mid-ocean ridges. But where exactly does the erupted magma come from? Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego now have a better idea after capturing a unique image of a site deep in the earth where magma is generated. Using electromagnetic technology developed and advanced at Scripps, the researchers mapped a large area beneath the seafloor off Central America at the ...

Cold cities less sustainable than warm cities, research suggests

2013-03-28
Living in colder climates in the US is more energy demanding than living in warmer climates. This is according to Dr Michael Sivak at the University of Michigan, who has published new research today, 28 March, in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters. Dr Sivak has calculated that climate control in the coldest large metropolitan area in the country – Minneapolis – is about three-and-a-half times more energy demanding than in the warmest large metropolitan area – Miami. Dr Sivak calculated this difference in energy demand using three parameters: ...

Getting under the shell of the turtle genome

2013-03-28
The genome of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, is published this week in Genome Biology. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest lineage analyzed. As a group, turtles are long-lived, can withstand low temperatures including freezing solid, can survive for long periods with no oxygen, and their sex is usually ...

Eating disorders, muscle dysmorphia, and self-perceived masculinity

2013-03-28
Self perceived masculinity is higher in men with muscle dysmorphia, popularly called 'bigorexia', than other gym users, while male patients with anorexia nervosa had elevated association with feminine stereotypes, finds research in Biomed Central's open access journal Journal of Eating Disorders. Research over the last several decades has shown that increasingly men are admitting to being unhappy with their body image. This may show itself in either a desire to lose weight and become thinner, or to gain weight and become more muscular. This can become harmful when the ...

Missed opportunities to help smokers with mental illness

2013-03-28
Although smoking prevalence has declined in the United Kingdom over recent decades, it has changed little among people with mental health disorders, remaining substantially higher than the national average. Yet a study published in the journal Addiction, presenting work carried out for a report released today by the Royal College of Physicians and Royal College of Psychiatrists called 'Smoking and Mental Health', suggests that general practitioners (GPs) are missing opportunities to help smokers with mental health disorders to quit. Though smokers with mental health problems ...

Diverse bacteria on fresh fruits, vegetables vary with produce type, farming practices

2013-03-28
Fresh fruit and vegetables carry an abundance of bacteria on their surfaces, not all of which cause disease. In the first study to assess the variety of these non-pathogenic bacteria, scientists report that these surface bacteria vary depending on the type of produce and cultivation practices. The results are published March 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Jonathan Leff and Noah Fierer at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The study focused on eleven produce types that are often consumed raw, and found that certain species like spinach, tomatoes and strawberries ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Cervical cancer: DNA-based test more accurate than repeat smear ('Pap')