HPV (human papilloma virus) urine detection option for poorer countries:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Testing urine for the cervical cancer marker human papilloma virus (HPV) could provide developing countries with an easier, cheaper alternative to taking cervical swabs, according Zimbabwean researchers. In a study of 43 women with cervical cancer, published in the Journal of Medical Virology (September), urine-based tests identified HPV in 72% of cases, compared with 98% of samples from swabs. If the accuracy can be improved, urine samples could be used in cervical cancer screening programmes.