The Ministry of Health has announced that HPV DNA diagnostics is expected to become a diagnostic standard in Poland from January 2025. Pilot studies of the use of the HPV HR molecular test have already been completed in 2022, and AOTMiT has also issued a positive opinion, but despite this, the implementation date remains uncertain.
Will HPV DNA diagnosis enter the benefit basket from 2025?
Published Dec. 4, 2024 09:03
Fot. Getty Images/iStockphoto
The introduction of the HPV DNA test as a screening test will save thousands of Polish women's lives and will be cheaper than cytology - these are the conclusions of an educational meeting for the media held in Warsaw on November 28.
The HPV DNA test is one of the most precise diagnostic tools for detecting precancerous conditions. Professor Witold Kędzia stresses that HPV infections are very common - up to 80% of the world's population has had contact with the virus, although not everyone develops cancer. Early detected precancerous conditions can be effectively treated within a day, giving women a chance for a long and healthy life.
Unlike cytology, which is subjective and less accurate, the HPV DNA test minimizes the risk of diagnostic error using advanced technology.
Why is HPV DNA diagnostics necessary?
Every year in Poland, cervical cancer is diagnosed in about 3,000 women, of whom 1,500 die. Early detection of cancerous lesions allows for complete cure, and the HPV DNA test allows:
- High-risk identification: the test detects HPV viruses with high-oncogenic potential with 95% accuracy.
- Diagnostic efficacy: It is twice as effective as cytology and eliminates the problem of false negative results.
- Patient comfort: the same sample can be used for both cytology and molecular testing.
World-class prevention
Experts point to the need to align diagnostic standards in Poland with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union. The HPV DNA test is recommended as a screening tool for women aged 30-65, performed every five years.
Australia, where universal HPV vaccination and HPV DNA screening have been introduced since 2008, has declared cervical cancer a rare disease. A similar model could yield equally spectacular results in Poland, provided molecular diagnostics become available to all women.
Anna Kupiecka of the Onkocafe Foundation and Joanna Frątczak-Kazana of the Alivia Oncofoundation, call for the immediate implementation of the HPV DNA test into the basket of guaranteed services. Any delay is an increased risk for women who find out about the disease too late.
Source: press mat.
