A new womb cancer test could spare thousands of women pain and anxiety by cutting down the need for further procedures.
The test offers women with abnormal vaginal bleeding hope of a quicker, earlier cancer diagnosis, or having the disease ruled out with speed.
Experts found the test, which uses a vaginal swab, to be more accurate than existing tools for picking up those women who need further investigation.
At the moment, thousands of women have a transvaginal ultrasound, where high-frequency sound waves can show signs of a thickened womb lining, which can indicate womb cancer.
If this is found, women then go on to have a hysteroscopy, where a narrow telescope with a light and camera is threaded through the cervix to capture images of the womb.
This procedure can be painful and many women also undergo further tests, such as a biopsy.
However, because the womb lining thickness fluctuates throughout the menstrual cycle, and black women are more likely to have conditions such as fibroids which can cause the womb lining to thicken, many women are referred for investigations when they do not actually have cancer.
A new study of 400 women published in The Lancet Oncology shows that the test, called WID-qEC, can more reliably detect which women need further investigation.
Part-funded by the Eve Appeal, the UK’s gynaecological cancer research charity, the study found that both ultrasound imaging and the test picked up 91% of those women eventually diagnosed with womb cancer.
However, the test was much more more accurate than ultrasound in telling women if they did not have cancer, and in working out who needed a biopsy.
Experts say this could save nine out of 10 women who would usually undergo a biopsy from needing this procedure.
The new test uses PCR methods to look at ‘tags’ on the top of the DNA, called DNA methylation – akin to a unique barcode that can be scanned to tell if there is a womb cancer or not.
What are the symptoms of womb cancer?
The main symptoms of womb cancer can include:
- bleeding or spotting from the vagina after the menopause
- heavy periods from your vagina that is unusual for you
- vaginal bleeding between your periods
- a change to your vaginal discharge
Other symptoms of womb cancer can include:
- a lump or swelling in your tummy or between your hip bones (pelvis)
- pain in your lower back or between your hip bones (pelvis)
- pain during sex
- blood in your pee
Source: NHS
‘One of the most important principles of modern preventative medicine is “less is more”,’ said Professor Martin Widschwendter, who developed the test and works at University College London’s department of women’s cancer.
‘The WID-qEC test is an ideal example for this – it significantly reduces the complexity of the pathway which women, presenting with abnormal bleeding, currently have to undergo.
‘We’re excited that the test will be commercially available in Austria and Switzerland from early 2024, and are actively working towards commercialisation in other countries including the UK in the coming months.’
Athena Lamnisos, chief executive of the Eve Appeal, said: ‘We hear from many women who have been investigated for abnormal bleeding, and they have really varied experiences of hysteroscopy and biopsies, some manage this procedure fine, but for many it is extremely painful.
‘On top of this, the waiting time between thinking you may have a potential cancer and finding out your results is agonising.
‘Saving thousands of women from needing to go through the pain of tests and speeding up the wait before cancer being ruled out or diagnosed and starting treatment is very welcome progress.’
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