Soon, affordable HPV test to screen cervical cancer

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, October 17

Cancer of the cervix caused by the high risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is now overtaking maternal mortality as the single largest preventable cause of death among Indian women, with hectic efforts under way to develop an affordable, point of care indigenous HPV test to ensure universal screening.

As many as 453 million Indian women aged 15 and above are at the risk of developing cervical cancer and can be protected with the administration of HPV vaccine before they develop the infection.

Top experts on Monday said an estimated 77,348 women in India die annually of cervical cancer out of 1.2 lakh who develop the condition.

Speaking at a group meeting titled “Accelerating Action for Cervical Cancer Mukt Bharat”, a campaign hosted this week by AIIMS, New Delhi, Shantha Kumari, president of The Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), said deaths due to cervical cancer were wholly preventable.

“The usual 10 to 20 years of natural history of progression from mild infection to carcinoma of the cervix makes cervical cancer a preventable disease,” Kumari said.

She said the rationale for early screening of the infection was prevention of the disease but screening alone was not enough.

“Widespread immunization with the HPV vaccine is highly effective in reducing the impact of cervical cancer and other cancers caused by HPV. This vaccine can prevent most cases of cervical cancer if given before the girls or women are exposed to the virus,” Kumari explained.

AIIMS gynaecology head Neerja Bhatla said India was now making efforts to universalise the national level HPV vaccination programme.

“The recently made-in-India HPV vaccine ‘Cervevac’ has passed the safety tests after a large multicentric trial. This vaccine is affordable, highly effective and safe,” Bhatla said.

Cervevac is expected to be rolled out in the national immunization programme by the year end.

Bhatla also said that efforts are ongoing to develop a cost-efficient, point of care HPV test to ensure universal cervical cancer screening.

“With this new development regarding a test, there is a hope for early realisation of elimination goals,” Bhatla added.

The WHO global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer sets certain targets for 2030, including vaccination of 90 per cent of the girls by 15 years of age, screening 70 per cent women by an effective test like HPV and ensuring treatment of 90 per cent of precancerous and cancerous lesions.