Computer-assisted primary screening of cervical smears may replace manual screening
European short report:
cancer.med.upenn.edu
[excerpt:the article is pro and con with con being mainly cost]
WESTPORT, Apr 23 (Reuters Health) - For primary screening of cervical smears, a computerized, semiautomated screening system that uses neural network technology yields results comparable with that of conventional screening and is much faster.
In the April 24th issue of The Lancet, Dr. Dulcie Coleman of Imperial College of Medicine, London, and a multicenter UK team report results of a trial in which they compared the sensitivity, specificity and process time of PAPNET with conventional primary screening performed by trained cytotechnologists. More than 21,000 cervical smears were analyzed as part of the study.
"We can say categorically, because the results are very reliable and there is a very low standard of error because of the size and construction of the trial, that PAPNET performs as well as manual screening to detect abnormal smears," Dr. Coleman told Reuters Health Thursday.
The sensitivity of PAPNET for identifying abnormal smears was comparable with that of conventional screening, 82% versus 83%, respectively. The specificity of PAPNET-assisted primary screening for identifying negative smears was better than that of conventional screening, 77% versus 42%, respectively.
PAPNET-assisted screening was also about three times faster than conventional screening.
When she spoke with Reuters Health, Dr. Coleman predicted that the UK, where cytotechnologists are in "incredibly short supply," will adopt the PAPNET system over manual screening in the near future and she suggests that the US consider doing the same.
[i know very little about the company, services and programs like above- if anyone does please enlighten us.....
i do not want anyone to think i have any expertise in this ......just an investor thinking of health related industries....
the boomers are older and require more care...and the advancements in medicine are momentous and quickly will change the field...] |
