According to available global statistics, 8 out of 10 women will be infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) at some point in their lives. This puts more than 480 million women in India at risk of contracting the virus and potentially developing cervical cancer from cancer-causing strains of HPV.
The original human papillomavirus (HPV) test emerged as a low-cost tool to increase cervical cancer screening. A test found by the multinational validation study meeting international standards could significantly enhance early detection in India.
The study, published in the International Journal of Cancer in June, found that Truenat HR-HPV-Plus met all equivalence and non-inferiority validation criteria set by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), making it the first formally validated low-valent HPV test targeting seven to eight high-risk HPV types.
“Cervical cancer is one of the few types of cancer for which we know the cause, we have prevention tools, and we can detect the risks early. However, thousands of women in India are still being diagnosed late because screening is not reaching them at the right time and at the right place,” Dr Neerja Bhatla, Professor Emeritus, National Cancer Institute, AIIMS, Jhajjar, told PTI.
The test showed a sensitivity of 80.4 percent and specificity of 91.5 percent for detecting grade II or worse cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, a major precursor to cervical cancer, researchers reported. Validation was based on cervical samples from the ESTAMPA study, a multicenter cervical cancer screening program conducted across Latin America that screened 44,135 women aged 30–64 years between 2012 and 2022.
Currently, most women avoid HPV testing due to the high cost. Most tests currently require that Dr. Bhatla, who is also the study’s lead author, told PTI that women over the age of 30 should undergo cervical cancer screening to reduce their risk.
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. However, it remains a major public health challenge in India, accounting for an estimated 127,000 new cases and about 80,000 deaths annually. Almost all cases are due to HPV, which is largely avoidable through vaccination, early screening, and timely treatment of cancer cells. However, late diagnosis makes it fatal in many cases.
Adoption of HPV testing has remained low in many middle-income countries due to high costs, laboratory infrastructure requirements, long implementation times, and challenges in ensuring follow-up.
According to the researchers, higher specificity could reduce unnecessary referrals and follow-up procedures, making the test a reliable, cost-effective and scalable option for cervical cancer screening in India and other low- and middle-income countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends HPV testing to eliminate cervical cancer. Women are suggested to be screened twice, at ages 35 and 45, using validated tests to reduce the burden.
Many companies have developed HPV tests but not all of them have met the international standards set by the World Health Organization. Deccan Herald
