This is a genuine breakthrough, and it might save countless women’s lives

It’s a good day for women…and for our daughters and granddaughters.

In a recent 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 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 percent of the ovarian cancers.

Now, that “40 percent” might seem low. But if this method of testing can predict ovarian cancer in the early stages, it would be great news for women’s health.

You see, it’s hard for doctors to diagnose ovarian cancer in early stages, so survival rates are poor. And about 15,500 women die of ovarian cancer in the U.S. each year.

Of course, 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.

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