BEDFORD, Mass., April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Hologic, Inc.
(NASDAQ: HOLX) today commented on an important cervical cancer
screening studyi published on-line this week in
Cancer Cytopathology, a peer-reviewed journal of the
American Cancer Society.
The study, by researchers at Quest Diagnostics and
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, supports
current consensus guidelinesii for cervical cancer
screening, which recommend that women 30-65 years of age be
co-tested with both Pap and human papillomavirus (HPV) tests.
Pap tests identify cellular abnormalities, while HPV tests identify
the presence of the virus that causes most cervical cancers.
Hologic issued the following statement on the study:
As cervical cancer screening approaches are being debated,
important real-world patient data from the largest U.S.
retrospective cervical cancer screening study ever completed show
that HPV-only screening missed more cervical cancers than Pap
testing alone or Pap-plus-HPV co-testing.
In the new study, which reviewed screening results from
approximately 8.6 million women, 18.6% of women with confirmed
cervical cancer received a negative test result when tested only
with an HPV assay. In contrast, 5.5% of women with cancer who
were co-tested received a negative test result, representing an
approximate three-fold improvement in the cancer detection
rate. Moreover, the study also demonstrated that co-testing
offered superior detection of a pre-cancerous condition called
CIN3.
Hologic believes the study results support the current consensus
guidelines for cervical cancer screening, which recommend that
women between 30 and 65 years of age be screened with both Pap and
HPV tests, and that co-testing remains the preferred diagnostic
standard for cervical cancer detection in women of this age
group.
"At a time when the best screening approach for millions of
women is being debated, it is important to remember that the Pap
test is the most successful cancer screening test in history," said
Edward Evantash, M.D., Medical
Director and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Hologic. "The
introduction of the Pap test decades ago has significantly reduced
cervical cancer mortalityiii, and as the adoption of
co-testing has increased, cervical cancer rates have declined
further.iv,v,vi We should not reverse the progress
that has been made. As this significant study demonstrates,
healthcare professionals should continue to rely on both Pap and
HPV tests to safeguard their patients' health, recognizing that
HPV-only screening will leave cancers undetected, and therefore
untreated."
Hologic is committed to advancing women's health and providing
valuable cervical cancer diagnostics. The Company offers a
full range of diagnostic solutions proven to reduce false negatives
and false positives, giving healthcare professionals the confidence
to identify patients at risk for developing cancer, while
minimizing unnecessary interventions.
About Hologic
Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier
of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems and
surgical products. The Company's core business units focus on
diagnostics, breast health, GYN surgical, and skeletal health. With
a unified suite of technologies and a robust research and
development program, Hologic is dedicated to The Science of Sure.
For more information on Hologic, visit www.hologic.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking information that
involves risks and uncertainties, including statements about
approaches to cervical cancer screening. There can be no
assurance these approaches will achieve the benefits described
herein or that such benefits will be replicated in any particular
manner with respect to an individual patient. The actual
effect of the use of the approaches can only be determined on a
case-by-case basis depending on the particular circumstances and
patient in question. Hologic expressly disclaims any
obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or
revisions to any such statements presented herein to reflect any
change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statements are based.
Hologic and The Science of Sure are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of Hologic, Inc. in the United
States and/or other countries.
Contact
Michael Watts
Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
(858) 410-8588
michael.watts@hologic.com
___________________________
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i Blatt AJ
et al, Cancer Cytopathology, 2015 Apr 10. doi:
10.1002/cncy.21544, [Epub ahead of print].
|
ii Saslow
D et al., Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, Volume 16,
Number 3, 2012.
|
iii
American Cancer Society. What Are the Key Statistics About Cervical
Cancer? 2011. Available at:
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CervicalCancer/DetailedGuide/cervical-cancer-key-statistics.
|
iv Number
of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000 people (all races, females),
age-adjusted.
http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/ld/cervix.html.
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v Tatsas
et al. Am J Clin Path. 2012; 138: 223-229.
|
vi Bekker
et al. Am J Clin Path. 2013; 139: 259-262.
|
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SOURCE Hologic, Inc.