Could A Menstrual Blood Test Replace Smear Tests For Cancer?

Making blood tests as accessible and accurate as possible is vital for a pharmacy that specialises in phlebotomy, enabling people to check for bloodborne diseases, illnesses, drug use and biomarkers for long-term health.

Access and simplicity are particularly key with testing and screening programmes, as the more intrusive, invasive and lengthy the process is for testing, the less likely some people will be able to.

This is particularly true with cervical screenings, sometimes still known as smear tests. These are an essential test, but some people are not given an invite for testing, some do not attend and some that do only attend once.

However, a promising study in China could provide an easier, less invasive test that could also help screen for a major symptom of cervical cancer.

How does it work? Is it as accurate as the existing screening programme? And why would a less intrusive test help protect more people from cervical cancer?

What Is Involved In A Cervical Screening?

A cervical screening is a widespread testing programme that all women and people with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 will be invited to have to determine their risk of contracting cervical cancer later in life.

Cervical screening is a routine test which typically takes less than ten minutes to complete and involves the following:

• Undressing and lying back on a bed.

• Placing a speculum into the vagina so a doctor or nurse can access the cervix.

• The doctor or nurse will open the speculum and brush the cervix lightly with a soft brush.

• Removing the speculum and reading the brush sample for laboratory testing for signs of HPV.

Whilst not a long nor painful procedure, because it requires a speculum and a trained doctor or nurse, it can only be done in a clinical setting. This means that not everyone can or is willing to go to the clinic to get the test done.

However, is an alternative possible?

Are There Alternatives To Cervical Screening?

A cervical screening looks for signs of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common and typically harmless group of viruses that can cause cancer or genital warts in some cases, with some people and with some types of virus.

Whilst an at-home test has been trialled using a similar process to the cervical screening, a research team in China has explored the possibility of testing menstrual blood for abnormalities in cervical cells, which can potentially progress into cervical cancer.

The samples had a comparable level of sensitivity for detecting abnormal cervical cells, but were less effective for determining the specifics needed to determine if the abnormality has a high risk of progressing into cancer.

However, negative tests were as accurate as cervical screening for the purpose of determining the need for further tests.

The proposal is promising, although at present it would need further testing and work to make it more applicable for clinical purposes. It is also not a universal test; menopausal women, for example, cannot take a menstrual blood test.

However, given how many people could be affected by HPV and cervical cancer, having as many test options available is key to ensuring that potential cancers are caught early and treated before they progress.