This is an exciting breakthrough that may save countless women’s lives

I’ve got exciting news for women. But it’s especially good news for their daughters, granddaughters, great granddaughters, and so on.

In a new trial, researchers looked for genetic traces of uterine and ovarian cancers in Pap smears. And they found them.

It’s so simple. But it has the potential to save countless women’s lives.

Genetic scientists have sequenced the genomes of more than 50 types of cancer tumors. This Pap smear test is one of the first attempts to put that new knowledge to work.

Researchers recruited women who had uterine or ovarian cancers. Pap smear testing confirmed all of the uterine cancers, and more than 40% of the ovarian cancers.

That 40% might seem disappointing. But if this method of testing can predict ovarian cancer in the early stages, it would be hard to overstate what a positive long-range effect it might have on women’s health.

It’s difficult for doctors to diagnose ovarian cancer in early stages, so survival rates are poor. About 15,500 women die of ovarian cancer in the U.S. each year.

This research is only step one. More testing will reveal if this technique can detect cancers in undiagnosed patients. And the key will be finding traces when the cancers are in early stages.

I’ll be watching closely for further research. I hope in a few years we can pop the corks and celebrate the success of this one together.

Sources:
“Pap Test Could Help Find Cancers of Uterus and Ovaries” Denise Grady, New York Times, 1/9/13, nytimes.com