创新背景

针对宫颈癌病因的疫苗接种现在已经广泛实施，这导致了病毒传播的数量和类型发生了变化。因此，宫颈的检查方法必须进行调整，才能使规划继续产生效益。

创新过程

研究人员开发了一种新的拭子测试，可以提前四年识别预测宫颈细胞的癌变。新的宫颈筛查方法比目前可用的其他测试更敏感，可以可靠地识别晚期细胞变化和宫颈癌。

此外，它能够预测55%的女性的晚期细胞变化，这些女性感染了HPV，但在显微镜下没有可见的细胞变化，但在接下来的四年里继续发展到晚期细胞变化。该测试的开发是一个更广泛项目的一部分，该项目旨在开发一种单一筛查测试，可以预测四种癌症的未来风险：乳腺癌、子宫癌、宫颈癌和卵巢癌。

研究人员希望这一进展将使那些被预测会患上这种疾病的人能够得到更早的治疗。

这项测试是通过检测DNA甲基化，即宫颈细胞DNA“顶部”的一种修饰。它可能受到环境和生活方式因素的影响会产生一些变化，这些变化会增加患某些疾病的风险，如癌症。

为了评估该检测的可靠性，研究人员检索并检测了存储在卡罗林斯卡消除宫颈癌中心的1,254个子宫颈癌筛查样本，这些样本来自细胞变化从早期(CIN1)到晚期(CIN3)的妇女、携带人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)但没有子宫颈癌细胞变化的妇女，以及在4年内发展为CIN3但没有子宫颈癌细胞变化的妇女。

新的分析方法优于细胞学和其他正在开发的用于检测CIN3和癌症的更新的分子检测方法。

创新关键点

这项测试是通过检测DNA甲基化，即宫颈细胞DNA“顶部”的一种修饰。它可能受到环境和生活方式因素的影响会产生一些变化，这些变化会增加患某些疾病的风险，如癌症。

创新价值

新的宫颈癌筛查方法比目前可用的其他检测方法更敏感，可以可靠地识别晚期细胞变化和宫颈癌。这种新方法也更具体，不会导致过度治疗。围绕现有的、有效的子宫颈癌样本收集建立新的、全面的、风险预测的筛查规划，为未来的癌症预防提供了真正的潜力。

A new "swab test" has been developed to predict cervical cancer in advance

Researchers have developed a new swab test that can identify predicted cancerous changes in cervical cells up to four years in advance. The new cervical screening method is more sensitive than other tests currently available and can reliably identify advanced cellular changes and cervical cancer.

In addition, it was able to predict late cellular changes in 55 percent of women who were infected with HPV but had no microscopically visible cellular changes but went on to develop late cellular changes over the next four years. The test was developed as part of a broader project to develop a single screening test that can predict future risk for four types of cancer: breast, uterine, cervical and ovarian.

Researchers hope the development will lead to earlier treatment for those predicted to develop the disease.

The test works by detecting DNA methylation, a modification on the "top" of DNA in cervical cells. It may be influenced by environmental and lifestyle factors that produce changes that increase the risk of certain diseases, such as cancer.

To assess the reliability of the test, the researchers retrieved and tested 1,254 cervical cancer screening samples stored at the Karolinska Center for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer from women with early cell changes (CIN1) to late stage (CIN3), women with human papillomavirus (HPV) but no cervical cancer cell changes. And women who developed CIN3 within 4 years without changes in cervical cancer cells.

The new assay outperforms cytology and other newer molecular assays being developed to detect CIN3 and cancer.