Period blood test could offer less invasive alternative to cervical screening

Testing period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate and convenient way of screening for the disease, researchers say.

The current NHS test involves a nurse or doctor taking a sample of cells from the cervix - but a third of women invited for screening do not attend.

A study of the new test, which can be carried out at home, used blood collected on a cotton strip attached to a standard sanitary pad.

Cervical cancer charities say finding new and potentially gentler ways of testing for the disease is encouraging and could improve access, although it is still early days for this research.

The NHS is already sending at-home test kits to women in some areas of England who have missed several cervical screening appointments. These DIY test kits containing a vaginal swab will be sent out more widely at some point this year.

Cervical screening appointments are offered to all women, and anyone with a cervix, every five years between the age of 25 and 64 in the UK. Screening looks for high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cancer.

A nurse or doctor carries out the test, which involves a speculum being inserted into the vagina to allow access to the cervix.

But five million women are not up to date with the test, research shows, and there are many reasons why - including fear, pain and discomfort.

"Cervical screening can be difficult for some women for many reasons, like if they have had a bad previous experience, they are menopausal, they have a physical or learning disability, cultural barriers, or are a survivor of sexual violence," says Athena Lamnisos from charity The Eve Appeal.

Younger women, those with disabilities, or those from ethnic minority communities and LGBT+ groups are more likely to miss appointments, officials say.

Doctors have offered advice on how to make cervical screening more comfortable.

Testing period blood would be an even less invasive option, say the Chinese researchers behind the new study in the journal The BMJ, adding it could be "a robust alternative" to current methods.

Their study, involving more than 3,000 women aged 20-54 years, compared the effectiveness of testing period blood collected on mini-pads to samples collected by clinicians. Women were told about the results via a specially designed app.

When the samples were sent to the lab, the researchers found that testing blood was nearly as good at picking up people who had the disease as the other methods, and very good at picking up those who didn't.

The researchers say using menstrual blood for HPV testing is "convenient" - not only respecting women's privacy, but also reducing their discomfort.

Anyone who tests positive for HPV would be sent for a colposcopy, which uses a special magnifying instrument that allows medics to closely examine the cervix to look for pre-cancerous cells.

Experts say period blood tests are not an immediate alternative to current cervical screening because only women who menstruate could use them. Others say the study could have overestimated the performance of the test because not all women had a biopsy - a more detailed test - to double check the result.

Sophie Brooks, health information manager at Cancer Research UK, said it was "encouraging" to see research exploring new ways of making cervical screening "more accessible".

She said testing menstrual blood for HPV was an interesting and non-invasive approach but stressed that more research in more diverse groups was needed to find out how it could fit into existing screening.

Athena Lamnisos from The Eve Appeal said it was "exciting" to see new, more acceptable ways of offering a potentially life-saving test.

"People have different barriers and concerns about screening, so being able to offer a choice of different methods could be very positive for some who are eligible for screening but don't currently attend," she said.