Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/xvR4VNV6-sc   The S5 DNA methylation test is able to predict which women with pre-cancerous cervical tissue disease will go on to develop frank cervical cancer.  A study from London’s Queen Mary University is the latest in a string of investigations to underscore the predictive value of this assay.   The S5 pyrosequencing methylation test, papilloma virus genetic testing, and conventional cytology were carried out on 149 young women with grade 2 cervical dysphasia, a precancerous state.  The S5 test was significantly better than either viral genetic testing or cytology at predicting which women would be in the group of 17% to suffer progression, in the group of 60% to enjoy regression of their disease, or in the group of 23% to have stable disease.   Currently, the default recommendation for women with significant pre-cancerous cervical disease is surgical removal.  The procedure has a painful recovery period and can leave a woman with a uterus unable to protect against fetal infect