New Pap Smear Test Makes it Easier to Identify Earliest Cervical Cancer Cells
GENESEE COUNTY
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
A new imaging system in use at McLaren Regional Medical Center is adding extra precision to catching cervical cancer early.
It means that after years of normal Pap tests, women can be assured that tiny cancer cells aren't missed and left to one day develop into invasive cervical cancer.
"This is like a set of tireless eyes looking at each patient's test along with the cytotechnologist and pathologist," said Greg Huffman, a McLaren cytotechnologist.
Largely behind-the-scenes advances are making the Pap test more precise than ever, yet the uncomfortable exam remains the same.
But most women have no idea who's reading their Pap tests after their annual visit to the gynecologist.
"My goal really is to educate people about what's happening with their lab tests," said Huffman, who estimates McLaren processes 13,000 Pap tests a year.
During a Pap test, a physician collects a specimen by scraping cells from the cervix that are later examined under a microscope.
McLaren's new FocalPoint, Huffman said, is an automated microscope that alerts cytotechnologists to suspicious slides likely holding problem cells.
The imaging system's greatest advantage is in pinpointing high-grade lesions - pre-cancerous cells that are smaller than normal cells but will one day could cause cervical cancer.
In the cytotechnology industry, they're nicknamed "litigation cells" because after years of normal Pap tests, a woman may have advanced cancer that should have been caught by routine Pap tests.
Not only is the evaluation of Pap tests getting better, but also the slides themselves are easier to read.
Flint-area hospitals and Owosso Memorial Healthcare also are now using liquid-based cervical screening, which is commonly called by the trade name Thin Prep.
The liquid-based method reduces excessive blood, bacteria or other debris that can make a specimen unsatisfactory. What's left for cytotechnologists to review is a thin layer of cells in which it's easier to identify abnormal cells.
Liquid-based screening is used in a majority of the 1,300 to 1,500 Pap tests performed at Hurley Medical Center each month, said Hurley cytotechnologist Sheila Moore.
Genesys reviews 12,000 tests a year and is considering taking the next step to use an imaging system similar to McLaren's.
cervical cancer lawyer
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
A better Pap test
In the past 50 years, Pap tests have reduced the deaths of women from cervical cancer by 70 percent, and new imaging systems are helping experts catch tiny cancer cells earlier.
A new imaging system in use at McLaren Regional Medical Center is adding extra precision to catching cervical cancer early.
It means that after years of normal Pap tests, women can be assured that tiny cancer cells aren't missed and left to one day develop into invasive cervical cancer.
"This is like a set of tireless eyes looking at each patient's test along with the cytotechnologist and pathologist," said Greg Huffman, a McLaren cytotechnologist.
Largely behind-the-scenes advances are making the Pap test more precise than ever, yet the uncomfortable exam remains the same.
But most women have no idea who's reading their Pap tests after their annual visit to the gynecologist.
"My goal really is to educate people about what's happening with their lab tests," said Huffman, who estimates McLaren processes 13,000 Pap tests a year.
During a Pap test, a physician collects a specimen by scraping cells from the cervix that are later examined under a microscope.
McLaren's new FocalPoint, Huffman said, is an automated microscope that alerts cytotechnologists to suspicious slides likely holding problem cells.
The imaging system's greatest advantage is in pinpointing high-grade lesions - pre-cancerous cells that are smaller than normal cells but will one day could cause cervical cancer.
In the cytotechnology industry, they're nicknamed "litigation cells" because after years of normal Pap tests, a woman may have advanced cancer that should have been caught by routine Pap tests.
Not only is the evaluation of Pap tests getting better, but also the slides themselves are easier to read.
Flint-area hospitals and Owosso Memorial Healthcare also are now using liquid-based cervical screening, which is commonly called by the trade name Thin Prep.
The liquid-based method reduces excessive blood, bacteria or other debris that can make a specimen unsatisfactory. What's left for cytotechnologists to review is a thin layer of cells in which it's easier to identify abnormal cells.
Liquid-based screening is used in a majority of the 1,300 to 1,500 Pap tests performed at Hurley Medical Center each month, said Hurley cytotechnologist Sheila Moore.
Genesys reviews 12,000 tests a year and is considering taking the next step to use an imaging system similar to McLaren's.
cervical cancer lawyer
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