Home / Archive / Vol. 37 No. 4 (2025): 37-4 / ORIGINAL
Advances in Cervical Cancer Screening: Comparing HPV Testing with Pap Smear in Early Detection
Samah Badr Hamad
University of Khartoum - Basic Medical Science Department, Khartoum, Sudan
Nazia Suleman
Consultant Gynaecologist, Life Care Hospital, Maternity Home and Pain Clinic; Assistant Professor, Abu Ummara Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
Aliya Abrar
Senior Lecturer, Forensic Medicine, Sir Syed Medical College for Girls, Karachi, Pakistan
Motasim Billah Khan
Assistant Professor Anatomy, Pak International Medical College, Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan
Umar Khan
PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Samra Ismat
Associate Professor at Abu Ummara Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
Keywords:
Cervical cancer, HPV testing, Pap smear, early detection, screening methods, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a significant global health issue, and early detection is crucial for reducing mortality rates. Traditional Pap smear screening has been widely used, but the introduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing has raised questions about its efficacy and advantages over conventional methods.
Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of HPV testing with Pap smear in the early detection of cervical cancer and its precursors.
Methods: A total of 300 women aged 30 to 65 years underwent both HPV testing and Pap smear in a clinical setting. Data were collected on the sensitivity, specificity, and overall detection rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 and 3. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the differences between the two screening methods.
Results: HPV testing demonstrated a significantly higher sensitivity (93%) compared to the Pap smear (65%) for detecting CIN 2 and 3. The specificity of Pap smear was slightly higher (85%) than that of HPV testing (80%). The overall detection rate for CIN 2 and 3 was also greater in the HPV testing group (30% vs. 15%).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that HPV testing was more effective than the Pap smear in the early detection of cervical cancer and its precursors. These results support the incorporation of HPV testing as a primary screening method, potentially leading to improved outcomes in cervical cancer prevention.
References
1. Swanson AA, Pantanowitz L. The evolution of cervical cancer screening. Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology. 2024 Jan 1;13(1):10-5.
2. Akram S, Yaqoob R, Ali Z, Ramzan M, Nadir S. HPV RELATED CERVICAL CANCER: ADVANCES IN DIAGNOSIS SCREENING MANAGEMENT. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
3. Perez U. Prevention through Vaccination, Screening Methods, and Treatment of Cervical Cancer. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technologies and Innovations. 2024 Aug 3:10(2):342-53.
4. Teixeira JC, Vale DB, Campos CS, Polegatto I, Bragança JF, Discacciati MG, Zeferino LC. Transition from opportunistic cytological to organized screening program with DNA-HPV testing detected prevalent cervical cancers 10 years in advance. Scientific Reports. 2024 Sep 5;14(1):20761.
5. Li J, Adobo SD, Shi H, Judicael KA, Lin N, Gao L. Screening Methods for Cervical Cancer. ChemMedChem. 2024 May 12:e202400021.
6. Sekar PK, Thomas SM, Veerabathiran R. The future of cervical cancer prevention: advances in research and technology. Exploration of Medicine. 2024 May 22:5(3):384-400.
7. Sengupta SK, Pal RD, Samaddar D, Samaddar JB, Goswami BK. Comparative analysis of different cervical screening methods with special reference to the WHO recommended human papillomavirus detection at a rural tertiary care center-A pilot study. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2024 Feb 1;15(2):178-83.
8. Spencer JC, Wheeler CM. Promise and Perils of Primary HPV Testing. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2024 Aug 1;33(8):982-3.
9. Ekemen S, Erkanlı S. Early Detection of Endocervical Adenocarcinoma and Adenocarcinoma in Situ: Role of PAP Smear and HPV Screening Test.
10. Chatterjee PB, Hingway SR, Hiwale KM, Hingway S, Hiwale KM. Evolution of Pathological Techniques for the Screening of Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus. 2024 May 21;16(5).
11. Thrall MJ, McCarthy E, Mito JK, Rao J, of the American CP, of Cytopathology S. Triage options for positive high-risk HPV results from HPV-based cervical cancer screening: A review of the potential alternatives to Papanicolaou test cytology. Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology. 2024 Sep 19.
12. Yadav J, Agarwal S, Jain A. Comparison of Visual Inspection Methods with Pap Smear as Screening Test for Premalignant Lesions of the Cervix. Journal of Mid-life Health. 2024 Jan 1;15(1):19-24.
13. Rebolj M, Brentnall AR, Cuschieri K. Predictable changes in the accuracy of human papillomavirus tests after vaccination: review with implications for performance monitoring in cervical screening. British Journal of Cancer. 2024 Apr 13:1-1.
14. Castle PE. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control. Viruses. 2024 Aug 25;16(9):1357.
15. Mahajan I, Kadam A, McCann L, Ghose A, Wakeham K, Dhillon NS, Stanway S, Boussios S, Banerjee S, Priyadarshini A, Sirohi B. Early adoption of innovation in HPV prevention strategies: closing the gap in cervical cancer.
16. Geetha D, Sangeetha J, Malar ML, Kumar TV. COMPARISON OF LIQUID-BASED CYTOLOGY AND CONVENTIONAL PAP SMEAR FOR CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF SPECIMEN ADEQUACY, DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY, AND CLINICAL CORRELATION. Int J Acad Med Pharm. 2024:6(3):658-63.
17. Yang Y, Xu L, Yuan S, Lv J, Chen P, Wang W. Optimal Screening and Detection Strategies for Cervical Lesions: A Retrospective Study. Journal of Cancer. 2024;15(11):3612.
18. Yang Y, Xu L, Yuan S, Lv J, Chen P, Wang W. Optimal Screening and Detection Strategies for Cervical Lesions: A Retrospective Study. Journal of Cancer. 2024;15(11):3612.
19. Das S, Kalyani R, Sheela SR, Kamala K. Liquid-based Cytology as a Superior Tool Compared to Conventional Pap Smear in Detecting Cervical Cancer in Suspected Cases: A Comparative Study. Advances in Human Biology. 2024 Apr 1;14(2):120-5.
20. Justiz-Vaillant A, Pooransingh S, Arozarena-Fundora R, Thompson R, Gopaul D, Soodeen S, Asin-Milan O, Akpaka PE. Challenges and Advances in Cervical Cancer Prevention for HIV-Positive Individuals: A Review of ART Efficacy, HPV Screening, and Vaccination Strategies.
Published
2026-06-19
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Samah Badr Hamad, Nazia Suleman, Aliya Abrar, Motasim Billah Khan, Umar Khan, Samra Ismat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad is an OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL which means that all content is FREELY available without charge to all users whether registered with the journal or not. The work published by J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad is licensed and distributed under the creative commons License CC BY ND Attribution-NoDerivs. Material printed in this journal is OPEN to access, and are FREE for use in academic and research work with proper citation. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. The Editorial Board of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. However, conclusions and statements expressed are views of the authors and do not reflect the opinion/policy of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad or the Editorial Board.
USERS are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
AUTHORS retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including twitter, scholarly collaboration networks such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar and any other professional or academic networking site.
P-ISSN: 1025-9589
E-ISSN: 1819-2718
Home / Archive / Vol. 37 No. 4 (2025): 37-4 / ORIGINAL
Advances in Cervical Cancer Screening: Comparing HPV Testing with Pap Smear in Early Detection
Samah Badr Hamad
University of Khartoum - Basic Medical Science Department, Khartoum, Sudan
Nazia Suleman
Consultant Gynaecologist, Life Care Hospital, Maternity Home and Pain Clinic; Assistant Professor, Abu Ummara Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
Aliya Abrar
Senior Lecturer, Forensic Medicine, Sir Syed Medical College for Girls, Karachi, Pakistan
Motasim Billah Khan
Assistant Professor Anatomy, Pak International Medical College, Hayatabad, Peshawar, Pakistan
Umar Khan
PIMS, Islamabad, Pakistan
Samra Ismat
Associate Professor at Abu Ummara Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan
Keywords:
Cervical cancer, HPV testing, Pap smear, early detection, screening methods, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia.
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a significant global health issue, and early detection is crucial for reducing mortality rates. Traditional Pap smear screening has been widely used, but the introduction of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing has raised questions about its efficacy and advantages over conventional methods.
Aim: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of HPV testing with Pap smear in the early detection of cervical cancer and its precursors.
Methods: A total of 300 women aged 30 to 65 years underwent both HPV testing and Pap smear in a clinical setting. Data were collected on the sensitivity, specificity, and overall detection rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2 and 3. Statistical analyses were performed to assess the differences between the two screening methods.
Results: HPV testing demonstrated a significantly higher sensitivity (93%) compared to the Pap smear (65%) for detecting CIN 2 and 3. The specificity of Pap smear was slightly higher (85%) than that of HPV testing (80%). The overall detection rate for CIN 2 and 3 was also greater in the HPV testing group (30% vs. 15%).
Conclusion: The findings indicated that HPV testing was more effective than the Pap smear in the early detection of cervical cancer and its precursors. These results support the incorporation of HPV testing as a primary screening method, potentially leading to improved outcomes in cervical cancer prevention.
References
1. Swanson AA, Pantanowitz L. The evolution of cervical cancer screening. Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology. 2024 Jan 1;13(1):10-5.
2. Akram S, Yaqoob R, Ali Z, Ramzan M, Nadir S. HPV RELATED CERVICAL CANCER: ADVANCES IN DIAGNOSIS SCREENING MANAGEMENT. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW.
3. Perez U. Prevention through Vaccination, Screening Methods, and Treatment of Cervical Cancer. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Technologies and Innovations. 2024 Aug 3:10(2):342-53.
4. Teixeira JC, Vale DB, Campos CS, Polegatto I, Bragança JF, Discacciati MG, Zeferino LC. Transition from opportunistic cytological to organized screening program with DNA-HPV testing detected prevalent cervical cancers 10 years in advance. Scientific Reports. 2024 Sep 5;14(1):20761.
5. Li J, Adobo SD, Shi H, Judicael KA, Lin N, Gao L. Screening Methods for Cervical Cancer. ChemMedChem. 2024 May 12:e202400021.
6. Sekar PK, Thomas SM, Veerabathiran R. The future of cervical cancer prevention: advances in research and technology. Exploration of Medicine. 2024 May 22:5(3):384-400.
7. Sengupta SK, Pal RD, Samaddar D, Samaddar JB, Goswami BK. Comparative analysis of different cervical screening methods with special reference to the WHO recommended human papillomavirus detection at a rural tertiary care center-A pilot study. Asian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2024 Feb 1;15(2):178-83.
8. Spencer JC, Wheeler CM. Promise and Perils of Primary HPV Testing. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 2024 Aug 1;33(8):982-3.
9. Ekemen S, Erkanlı S. Early Detection of Endocervical Adenocarcinoma and Adenocarcinoma in Situ: Role of PAP Smear and HPV Screening Test.
10. Chatterjee PB, Hingway SR, Hiwale KM, Hingway S, Hiwale KM. Evolution of Pathological Techniques for the Screening of Cervical Cancer: A Comprehensive Review. Cureus. 2024 May 21;16(5).
11. Thrall MJ, McCarthy E, Mito JK, Rao J, of the American CP, of Cytopathology S. Triage options for positive high-risk HPV results from HPV-based cervical cancer screening: A review of the potential alternatives to Papanicolaou test cytology. Journal of the American Society of Cytopathology. 2024 Sep 19.
12. Yadav J, Agarwal S, Jain A. Comparison of Visual Inspection Methods with Pap Smear as Screening Test for Premalignant Lesions of the Cervix. Journal of Mid-life Health. 2024 Jan 1;15(1):19-24.
13. Rebolj M, Brentnall AR, Cuschieri K. Predictable changes in the accuracy of human papillomavirus tests after vaccination: review with implications for performance monitoring in cervical screening. British Journal of Cancer. 2024 Apr 13:1-1.
14. Castle PE. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Challenges and Opportunities for Global Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control. Viruses. 2024 Aug 25;16(9):1357.
15. Mahajan I, Kadam A, McCann L, Ghose A, Wakeham K, Dhillon NS, Stanway S, Boussios S, Banerjee S, Priyadarshini A, Sirohi B. Early adoption of innovation in HPV prevention strategies: closing the gap in cervical cancer.
16. Geetha D, Sangeetha J, Malar ML, Kumar TV. COMPARISON OF LIQUID-BASED CYTOLOGY AND CONVENTIONAL PAP SMEAR FOR CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF SPECIMEN ADEQUACY, DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY, AND CLINICAL CORRELATION. Int J Acad Med Pharm. 2024:6(3):658-63.
17. Yang Y, Xu L, Yuan S, Lv J, Chen P, Wang W. Optimal Screening and Detection Strategies for Cervical Lesions: A Retrospective Study. Journal of Cancer. 2024;15(11):3612.
18. Yang Y, Xu L, Yuan S, Lv J, Chen P, Wang W. Optimal Screening and Detection Strategies for Cervical Lesions: A Retrospective Study. Journal of Cancer. 2024;15(11):3612.
19. Das S, Kalyani R, Sheela SR, Kamala K. Liquid-based Cytology as a Superior Tool Compared to Conventional Pap Smear in Detecting Cervical Cancer in Suspected Cases: A Comparative Study. Advances in Human Biology. 2024 Apr 1;14(2):120-5.
20. Justiz-Vaillant A, Pooransingh S, Arozarena-Fundora R, Thompson R, Gopaul D, Soodeen S, Asin-Milan O, Akpaka PE. Challenges and Advances in Cervical Cancer Prevention for HIV-Positive Individuals: A Review of ART Efficacy, HPV Screening, and Vaccination Strategies.
Published
2026-06-19
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Samah Badr Hamad, Nazia Suleman, Aliya Abrar, Motasim Billah Khan, Umar Khan, Samra Ismat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Journal of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad is an OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL which means that all content is FREELY available without charge to all users whether registered with the journal or not. The work published by J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad is licensed and distributed under the creative commons License CC BY ND Attribution-NoDerivs. Material printed in this journal is OPEN to access, and are FREE for use in academic and research work with proper citation. J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad accepts only original material for publication with the understanding that except for abstracts, no part of the data has been published or will be submitted for publication elsewhere before appearing in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. The Editorial Board of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and authenticity of material printed in J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad. However, conclusions and statements expressed are views of the authors and do not reflect the opinion/policy of J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad or the Editorial Board.
USERS are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking prior permission from the publisher or the author. This is in accordance with the BOAI definition of open access.
AUTHORS retain the rights of free downloading/unlimited e-print of full text and sharing/disseminating the article without any restriction, by any means including twitter, scholarly collaboration networks such as ResearchGate, Academia.edu, and social media sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Scholar and any other professional or academic networking site.
P-ISSN: 1025-9589
E-ISSN: 1819-2718