Testing women for the human papillomavirus (HPV) instead of using traditional cervical screening could prevent around 600 cases of cervical cancer a year, Cancer Research UK has said.
The cervical screening programme detects abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, which can be early signs of cancer.
In England, around 1800 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed in women aged 25-64 each year. Conducted in the same way as existing screening, this research suggests HPV testing could cut that number by around a third.
Cancer Research UK scientists identified more than 40 % of 8,750 women diagnosed with cervical cancer had a negative cytology test result within six years of their diagnosis.
Assuming that primary HPV1 testing would pick up 95 % of cases missed by cytology, researchers estimate up to 33 % of cervical cancer cases will be prevented in women aged 25-64, if introduced in England.
Professor Peter Sasieni, study author and Cancer Research UK funded scientist at Queen Mary, University of London, said: "Cervical cancer screening is already hugely effective but our study shows how much better it could be by swapping to primary HPV testing. Not only would introducing primary HPV testing prevent more cases of cancer, it would also mean women who tested negative wouldn't need to be checked as often."
Hazel Nunn, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Although we already have a very effective cervical cancer screening programme, this study suggests that we could do even better if primary HPV testing was introduced here in the UK."
