The Pap test is a screening test for malignant and premalignant changes of the cervix. By using a spatula and a brush, the Pap test is performed by gently scraping cells from the cervix, smearing them onto a microscope slide and sending it to a pathology laboratory for evaluation. However, results of Pap test remain relatively inaccurate, largely because of inadequate sampling. Researchers from the University Hospitals of Cleveland and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland have devised a new type of single-step Pap test, which they say is easier to perform and more accurate than the standard test. The InPath e2 Collector gathers cervical cells with a balloon that can be inflated against the surface of the cervix.
Researchers say it can capture cells from the entire surface of the cervix in a single application.
Cells stick to the surface of the balloon and are released into a liquid-based preservative and evaluated using standard methods. Researchers say the InPath e2 Collector is effective in gathering a representative sample of cervical cells. Pap test screening is recommended as a yearly screening test for all women beginning at the age of 18 years or at the onset of sexual activity. The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.