Beating cervical cancer starts with early detection, and according to a study conducted by Chris Meijer and his peers from the VU University Medical Centre in Amsterdam, there is now a more accurate way of doing so. Through DNA testing, pre-cancerous lesions can be successfully detected in women.
The five-year study, which was published in The Lancet Oncology, studied 45,000 women aged 29 to 56 to observe for any signs of the human papillomavirus in their system. Results revealed that DNA testing for women aged 30 and above can spell the difference between life and death. It significantly raises the odds of the patients getting earlier treatment, thus making the chances of actually being a few steps ahead of cancer more than possible.
Since DNA testing is not available to everyone, however, the best thing to do would still be to set regular appointments for pap smears to help monitor any changes in your body.
For more on cervical cancer, check out these articles:
- Hot GirlTalk Topic: What Every Woman Should Know about Cervical Cancer
- 5 HPV Myths Debunked
- New Study: IUDs Cut Risk of Cervical Cancer in Half
- 4 Common Reproductive Health Concerns and What You Should Know About Them
(Photo by Brittany G via Flickr Creative Commons)
