June 1999
Displace Dysplasia
by Lark Lands
Women with HIV can now add to their Pap smears another crucial early
warning system for cervical cancer. The FDA has approved a
test—Digene’s Hybrid Capture II—to spot all 13 forms of the human
papilloma virus (HPV) that is associated with this cancer. HPV’s
presence makes HIVers four to five times more likely than HIV negative
women to develop dysplasia—the cell abnormality that precedes cervical
cancer. Using the Hybrid Capture II test to identify who is infected
with a cancer-promoting strain of virus could prompt closer screening
for dysplasia and earlier treatment—and help prevent full-blown cancer.
