Vinegar Cancer Test Cuts Death Rates by One-Third

Rebecca Lewis June 06, 2013

Early detection is a great way to lower the risk of dying from cervical cancer. But even though they are effective, Pap smears and other screening tools available today are way too expensive for women living in developing countries. Fortunately, researchers have developed a new technique to measure the risk of cervical cancer using only a simple vinegar test.

The remarkable study, which involved 150,000 women living in the slums of India, has found that a simple vinegar test could slash cancer deaths by one-third. Experts call it an ‘amazing’ test that could save thousands of lives each year without women having to spend at all.

The research was headed by Dr Surendra Shastri of Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, India. Based on records, India has nearly one-third of the world’s cases of cervical cancer, affecting around 140,000 women each year. Dr Shastri and her team tried a test that costs very little and can be administered by local people with only two weeks of training, and does not need fancy lab equipment. The test involves swabbing the cervix with diluted vinegar, which can make abnormal cells briefly change their colour.

The study began in 1998 in which 75,360 were enrolled to be screened every two years with the vinegar test. Another 76,178 women were chosen as controls who, instead of the vinegar test, received cancer education at the start of the study and a free voucher for a Pap test. Women from either group who were found to have cancer were given free treatments.

Inexpensive Screening Tool for Cervical Cancer

"It’s just not possible to provide Pap smear screening in developing countries. We don’t have that kind of money, or the staff or equipment, so a simpler method had to be found”, said Dr Shastri.

They found that the cheap cancer test has reduced death rates by 31 per cent. It could prevent 22,000 deaths in India and 72,600 deaths worldwide, according to the researchers.

One participant, Usha Devi, has never gone through a gynaecology exam ever since she delivered her first child (she now has four kids). She had been bleeding heavily for several years and hoping and praying that things will turn out alright. When she received invitation to join the study, she immediately took the offer. There she found that she has advanced cervical cancer. The research team paid for surgery to remove her uterus and cervix.

But not all women in India have the courage like Usha. According to the researchers, even this quick and free cancer screening tool can be hard to sell in a deeply conservative country where most women are subservient and need permission from husbands, fathers or other people in making decisions.

Many poor countries could also not afford mammograms for breast cancer screening. The researchers are investigating whether breast exams administered by social health workers could work as well.

The study was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute in the US.

Last month, two companies announced that they will drastically lower the prices of HPV vaccines for poor countries. There will also be pilot studies to be conducted in Asia and Africa which aimed to vaccinate more than 30 million women in more than 40 countries.

Source of this article:

Vinegar cancer test saves lives, India study finds