These studies have generated significant media coverage, including articles in The Wall St. Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Associated Press. Three of the studies have been made available online by The New England Journal of Medicine , and will be published next month. One study will be published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in the spring, and the other will be presented at a meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, to be held on March 22. As a result of the significant results of these studies, the NCI has released a Clinical Announcement to thousands of doctors nationwide, encouraging them to incorporate this technique in the treatment of cervical cancer. It is clear that the results of these studies may dramatically affect the standard of care for locally advanced cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the second most common form of cancer for women worldwide.
In Africa, Asia, and South America, cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer for women. High rates of cervical cancer in other parts of the world are attributed to a lack of widespread testing for the disease. The Pap test is the most commonly used test to diagnose pre-cancerous cells that may lead to cervical cancer. Pap tests are recommended annually for women who are sexually active, or who are age 18 or older. Pap tests involve the analysis of cells taken from a woman's cervix.