Cervical cancer: a pocket colposcope to improve screening

In addition to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, prevention of cervical cancer relies on a regular smear (every three years after 25 years), which involves the removal of cells. If the analyzes are suspicious, a colposcopy is performed. It allows you to observe the cervix in order to refine the diagnosis, but the examination is not the most pleasant.

Duke University (United States) has developed a device * that could improve comfort. It is smaller, and does not require the use of a speculum, thus reducing the discomfort of handling.

Self-screening

More compact, this “pocket colposcope” is equipped with lamps and a camera that the doctor inserts into the vagina to observe the surface of the cervix. Snapshots can be sent directly to a tablet or smartphone.

In addition to reducing discomfort, it could be used for prevention by women themselves, say researchers at Duke. “Almost all people [qui l’ont testé] said they preferred it to a speculum, and more than 80% of women got a good image, says Mercy Asiedu, a student participating in the project. The others just felt like they lacked practice. “

“Mortality should be zero”

A chance for women who, in many developing countries, do not always have access to specialists sufficiently trained to perform this examination with an ordinary colposcope.

“Mortality from cervical cancer should be zero, because we have all the tools to detect and treat it,” regrets Nimmi Ramanujam, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University, and one of the developers. colposcope. It is not, in part because women are not screened enough, or do not follow a positive smear with colposcopy. “

Each year, 500,000 cases of cervical cancer are recorded worldwide, making it the fourth most common cancer in women and the second most fatal. It still kills 25% of women who are victims, or 1,000 people per year in France, every year.

The designers of the device have published the results of their research inPLOS One