AIIMS Delhi Develops Simple Blood Test to Track Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is a significant health concern globally, affecting millions of women every year. Early detection and treatment are crucial in saving lives, but traditional methods of testing have been cumbersome, invasive, and often unreliable. However, a breakthrough innovation by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has made testing of cervical cancer treatment simpler than ever before. An effortless blood test can help determine whether your cervical cancer is responding to treatment or whether it has relapsed.
The new test, developed by a team of researchers at AIIMS Delhi, is a molecular test that detects trace amounts of DNA of the two most common high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains. HPV is a known cause of cervical cancer, and identifying the presence of these strains can help doctors diagnose and treat the disease more effectively.
Traditional methods of testing for cervical cancer involve a pap smear, which involves collecting cells from the cervix using a brush or spatula. This method is not only invasive but also has a high false-negative rate, which means that some cases of cervical cancer may go undetected. Additionally, the pap smear test is not suitable for patients who have undergone hysterectomies or have cervical cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.
The AIIMS Delhi team used a technique called digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR) to develop the new blood test. dPCR is a highly sensitive molecular test that can detect extremely small amounts of DNA, making it ideal for detecting the presence of HPV DNA in blood samples.
The test is simple, non-invasive, and can be performed using a small sample of blood. The patient’s blood is drawn, and the sample is then analyzed using the dPCR technique. If the test detects the presence of HPV DNA, it indicates that the patient has cervical cancer or is at risk of developing it.
The significance of this breakthrough cannot be overstated. The new test has the potential to revolutionize the way cervical cancer is diagnosed and treated. It can help doctors identify patients who are at risk of developing cervical cancer, enabling them to take proactive measures to prevent the disease.
Moreover, the test can also help doctors monitor the effectiveness of treatment in patients who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer. If the test detects HPV DNA in a patient’s blood, it indicates that the cancer has relapsed, allowing doctors to adjust treatment accordingly.
The AIIMS Delhi team has already tested the new blood test on a small group of patients and has found it to be highly accurate. The test detected HPV DNA in 95% of patients who had cervical cancer, compared to 50% detected by traditional methods.
While there is still more research needed to validate the test, the preliminary results are promising, and it has the potential to become a game-changer in the fight against cervical cancer.
What does this mean for patients?
For patients, this breakthrough means that they can now undergo a simple, non-invasive blood test to detect cervical cancer. The test is quick, painless, and can be performed in a doctor’s office or a clinic.
The new test also means that patients who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer can have a more accurate monitoring of their treatment. If the test detects HPV DNA, it indicates that the cancer has relapsed, allowing doctors to adjust treatment accordingly.
Moreover, the test can also help patients who have undergone hysterectomies or have cervical cancer that has spread to other parts of the body. The new test can detect HPV DNA in blood samples, enabling doctors to diagnose cervical cancer even in patients who have undergone hysterectomies or have advanced stages of the disease.
Conclusion
The development of a simple blood test to track cervical cancer by AIIMS Delhi is a significant breakthrough in the fight against this deadly disease. The test is non-invasive, quick, and can be performed using a small sample of blood. It has the potential to revolutionize the way cervical cancer is diagnosed and treated, enabling doctors to identify patients who are at risk of developing the disease and monitor the effectiveness of treatment in patients who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
As researchers continue to refine the test and gather more data, it is likely that this breakthrough will become a widely used diagnostic tool in the near future. For patients, this means that they can have a more accurate and non-invasive way of detecting cervical cancer, and for doctors, it means that they can have a more effective tool to diagnose and treat this deadly disease.
Source:
https://thecsrjournal.in/aiims-delhis-new-test-can-make-cervical-cancer-treatment-easy/
