The NYT reports today that “A new DNA test for the virus that causes cervical cancer does so much better than current methods that some gynecologists hope it will eventually replace the Pap smear in wealthy countries and cruder tests in poor ones.” The study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine. One of the things that’s significantly different in the DNA test vs a traditional pap spear is that the DNA test uses a machine to read the results vs a pap smear relies on a lab technician. That means the DNA test would be both faster and probably more accurate. What a great advance. Cervical cancer used to be a leading cause of death of women as recently as 1950 (before regular pap smears came along) and is still a big killer in less developed countries. Good work, Bill and Melinda.
Replacing humans with machines for cervical test