A new test for cervical cancer developed for use in poor countries has been lauded by Cambodian health officials, as nearly a quarter of the country's female population is afflicted by the disease, national media reported Friday.
Produced by the Dutch company QIAGEN, the test does not require electricity or running water and can be used by nonmedical staff, the Phnom Penh Post said.
Unlike other tests that require sophisticated laboratories and a long waiting time for results, this test can indicate results within two hours, minimizing multiple costly doctors' visits, it said.
"It will be very good for Cambodian women if we can get new ( cervical cancer) testing," said Chan Vanna, official of the Department of Women's Disease and Birth Spacing at the Reproductive Health Association of Cambodia (RHAC).
"It would be so much better than the test we do today," Chan Vanna was quoted as saying.
Most Cambodian woman receive no routine testing for cervical cancer, which is the most common form of cancer in the Kingdom, health officials said.
While many women live in areas where routine testing is not available, another primary reason for those in more urban areas is cost.
According to the SOS International Clinic, pap smear tests conducted in Cambodia are usually sent to Singapore to be analyzed.
A price tag of around 110 U.S. dollars, on top of doctor's fees, means the procedure is out of reach for many.
According to Dr Eav Sokha, head of the Department of Oncology at the Cambodian-Russian Friendship Hospital, 24 percent of Cambodian women develop cervical cancer in their lifetime, making it the most common form of cancer in the country. The second most prevalent is breast cancer. |
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