Hologic gør opmærksom på Cervical Health Awareness Month

Hologic gør opmærksom på Cervical Health Awareness Month og understreger betydningen af tidlig diagnose for at reducere livmoderhalskræft.

Despite significant progress in reducing cervical cancer rates in recent decades, thousands of women still die from the disease each year, and additionally, declines in incidence among younger women have begun to slow, according to recent data from the American Cancer Society. This trend underscores the urgent need to continue to raise awareness and understanding of how healthcare professionals and women can combat cervical disease.

As a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic tests for cervical cancer, Hologic believes this year’s Cervical Health Awareness Month (January) is more important than ever to call attention to the ongoing need for increased awareness, education and resources.

“We have made significant strides in decreasing cervical cancer rates among women, and Cervical Health Awareness Month reminds us that we must remain focused,” says Tom West, division president at Hologic Diagnostic Solutions. “Cervical cancer is curable if caught early, and our goal continues to be ensuring that healthcare professionals and women know that for the majority of women, Pap+HPV Together offers the best possible protection against this life-threatening disease.”

The Pap test is the most successful cancer screening tool in history. It has played a large role in making cervical cancer one of the most preventable cancers in the U.S. The Pap detects abnormal cervical cells. For women ages 30-65, practice guidelines recommend Pap+HPV Together as the preferred method for cervical cancer screening.2 The HPV test detects the presence of the virus that may lead to cervical cancer. For women 21-29, clinical practice guidelines recommend just a Pap test.

Hologic has maintained a longstanding commitment to advancing women’s health and has supported critical cervical cancer research, education and collaboration efforts:

• Cancer Research and Laboratory Collaborations: Hologic is committed to the most comprehensive detection of cervical cancer. Our innovations in liquid-based cytology testing and HPV mRNA testing have helped healthcare professionals maximize the benefits of screening and confidently identify patients at high risk for developing cervical cancer. Hologic has alliances with laboratories across the country to offer diagnostic solutions, educate on the value of screening and support cervical cancer research. One example is the Quest HealthTrends study, the largest real-world retrospective study of cervical cancer screening strategies. The Quest Study found that Pap+HPV Together identified more cervical pre-cancer and cancer than either test used alone, and demonstrated that one in five cases of cervical cancer was missed with HPV-alone screening.3
• Education for Healthcare Professionals: Hologic helps healthcare professionals sustain and grow their knowledge so they can continue to offer the best care possible. The company offers Continuing Medical Education, attends association meetings and provides speaker programs to equip providers with the latest cervical cancer screening data and information.
• Public Health Awareness and Advocacy Partnerships: Hologic raises awareness of the importance of cervical cancer screening through educational campaigns during Cervical Health Awareness Month and other health events and programs throughout the year. Hologic regularly partners with healthcare associations and patient advocacy groups to help improve the dialogue between providers and women about cervical cancer screening and empower women to ask about their cervical health. This month, Hologic will partner with advocacy groups to spread the message about appropriate screening for women through multiple social media channels.
• Philanthropy: For more than a decade, Hologic has supported the College of American Pathologists’ See, Test and Treat program, which brings cervical cancer screening and other critical healthcare to women in underserved communities. The Company also supports other non-profit groups focused on cervical and reproductive health.

About ThinPrep® Pap Test and Aptima® HPV Assay
Hologic’sThinPrep Pap test, which was the first liquid-based cytology test, revolutionized Pap testing following its introduction in 1996. Since that time, it has become the most widely used Pap test in the country, with hundreds of published, peer-reviewed studies demonstrating its effectiveness. Concurrently, there has been a significant reduction in invasive cervical cancer in the U.S.

Hologic’s Aptima HPV assay targets high-risk HPV mRNA from the E6/E7 oncogenes, providing the same excellent sensitivity and improved specificity compared with DNA-based tests.4 Hologic also offers the Aptima® HPV 16 18/45 genotype assay for HPV types 16, 18 and 45 in samples from women with Aptima HPV assay positive results.

The ThinPrep Pap test and Aptima HPV assay are the market-leading products for cervical disease screening in the United States. To learn more about the importance of screening with Pap+HPV Together, visit www.PapPlusHPV.com.

About Hologic
Hologic, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of premium diagnostic products, medical imaging systems and surgical products. The Company’s core business units focus on diagnostics, breast health, GYN surgical, and skeletal health. With a unified suite of technologies and a robust research and development program, Hologic is dedicated to The Science of Sure. For more information on Hologic, visit www.hologic.com.

Hologic, Aptima, Pap+HPV Together, ThinPrep and The Science of Sure are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hologic, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.