UK doctors develop non-invasive test for womb cancer in women bleeding after menopause
Test using urine and vaginal fluid samples raises hopes thousands of lower-risk women could be spared internal ultrasounds and hysteroscopies Doctors have developed a simple test that could help rule out womb cancer in women who experience bleeding after menopause. The approach has the potential to transform care for thousands of women each year and spare them from invasive and uncomfortable…
A new non-invasive test for womb cancer in postmenopausal women has been developed by UK doctors, offering hope for thousands of women who experience bleeding after menopause. The test, which uses urine and vaginal fluid samples, could spare many women from undergoing invasive and uncomfortable procedures such as internal ultrasounds and hysteroscopies, which can also be costly for healthcare systems.
The test, developed at the University of Manchester and Manchester University NHS foundation trust, analyzes cells collected from urine and vaginal fluid samples. In a study involving 1,864 women attending seven hospitals in north-west England with postmenopausal bleeding, the test identified 80 out of 99 diagnosed cases of womb cancer and correctly returned negative results for 93% of women without cancer.
The findings, published in the Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health journal, suggest that the test could be used to quickly identify women at the highest risk for cancer, allowing them to undergo urgent investigation while sparing those with lower risk from invasive testing. However, the researchers caution that the test is not yet accurate enough to rule out cancer on its own and may require further validation in different settings and among women without symptoms.
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