BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
Researchers at the University of Manchester developed a non-invasive womb cancer test that correctly identified most cancers and returned a negative result for 93 percent of women who did not have the disease. The test uses urine and vaginal fluid samples, is inexpensive, and requires no internal examination.
In a study of 1,864 women with postmenopausal bleeding at seven hospitals in north-west England, 5 percent (99 women) were ultimately diagnosed with womb cancer. The test identified 80 of those 99 cases. Specialist cytologists assessed the samples blind, without knowing each woman’s diagnosis. Results were published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women’s Health.
The triage gap it’s designed to close
Postmenopausal bleeding triggers an urgent cancer referral in the U.K. and in most countries. Between five and 10 percent of women referred with that symptom have womb cancer. The rest go through an internal ultrasound, a womb lining biopsy, or a hysteroscopy (a procedure in which a camera is passed into the womb), and come back clear.
“At the moment, many women face invasive, uncomfortable tests that can be stressful as well as costly for health services before cancer can be ruled out,” said Prof. Emma Davidson of the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. The test would sort that group earlier: fast-tracking women at highest risk while giving lower-risk women a result without the camera procedure.
“Bleeding after the menopause is understandably alarming for women because it can be a sign of cancer, but the vast majority of those investigated will not have the disease,” Davidson said. “Our study shows that a simple test using urine and vaginal samples could help identify the women most likely to have cancer while safely reassuring many others much earlier in the diagnostic pathway.”
Open questions for the next phase
The samples were assessed by highly trained specialist cytologists. The researchers are upfront that they don’t know whether the same accuracy would hold in ordinary clinical settings. The test was also only studied in women who had symptoms; its performance in asymptomatic women hasn’t been established.
“If further studies confirm these findings in routine practice, this approach has the potential to transform care for thousands of women every year,” Davidson said.
Hundreds of thousands of women are diagnosed with womb cancer globally each year, and many more are referred and cleared without it. If the test holds up under broader scrutiny, it would mean fewer invasive procedures for women who don’t need them, and faster answers for those who do.
Source study: The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women’s Health— Urine and vaginal cytology for endometrial cancer detection in women with postmenopausal bleeding in northwest England (DETECT): diagnostic accuracy study
Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.
