Urine-Based HPV Testing as a Method to Screen for Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a treatable and preventable cancer that remains a concern for women worldwide. Efforts to reduce rates of cervical cancer focus on the promotion of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and the promotion of routine recommended cervical cancer screening, primarily done by cervical cytology and cervical HPV testing. Recently researchers have begun to examine urine-based HPV testing as a future potential alternative to the current cervical screening methodology. This column takes a second look at two recent U.S.-based studies in which researchers evaluated urine-based HPV testing as a simple and noninvasive approach to screen for cervical cancer.