Latino group advises against DNA Pap smear alternative

The National Alliance for Hispanic Health is taking a stand against against a new DNA alternative to the traditional Pap smear.

The organization, which has taken huge steps in advancing Hispanics in the United States, has signed a formal appeal letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asking the test be reconsidered as a first-choice option for cervical cancer screening.

SEE ALSO: Cervical cancer: A serious concern for Latinas

According to the Alliance, as well as 17 other patient advocacy groups, Pap smear screening has long been a reliable method for cervical cancer detection, and a DNA test, though more technologically advanced, could possibly lead to confusion for patients, higher costs and over treatment.

The new test manufactured by Roche uses DNA to detect the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancer cases. Though this test has been available for a number of years, Roche has asked the FDA to approve it as a first-option for clinicians as opposed to the Pap smear.

Though the procedure may seem easier and less intimidating, especially for young girls, the Alliance and other groups express concern about how general HPV screening is not appropriate  because not all girls who have HPV are going to develop cervical cancer. Most sexually active people?boys and girls?will contract HPV at some point during their lives and their body will eliminate the virus within a few months

“Unfortunately, the HPV test by itself isn’t very useful because so many young women have HPV that will disappear without any treatment,” Diana Zuckerman of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund told the Associated Press. “Having an HPV test without also getting a Pap smear to check for problems is going to scare a lot of women who are not developing cervical cancer.”

The FDA has declined to comment on the letter at this time, stating the DNA test is still under review and no final decision has yet been made.

HPV and cancer screening

The human papilloma virus (HPV) has long been feared for its ability to cause genital warts, but the more scary side of this virus is that it is the primary cause of cervical cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), almost all cases of cervical cancer care caused by HPV, but the virus is also responsible for 50 percent of vulvar cancers, 65 percent of vaginal cancers, 35 percent of penile cancers, 95 percent of anal cancers, and 60 percent of oropharyngeal cancers.

Because HPV is a very common sexually transmitted illness, screening for the presence of the virus in the past has only indicated an individual may be at an increased risk for certain diseases. Most specific tests, like the Pap smear have been needed to pinpoint abnormal cells, making them a more realistic first-step test.

A normal Pap smear, for example, relieves the fear of cervical cancer even if HPV is present. Though it is beneficial to know HPV status, when it comes to cancer screening, DNA testing is not an accurate enough indication, warn the experts.