A new way of testing for cervical cancer could potentially help women in developing countries, scientists have suggested.
Researchers from the Medical Research Council's cancer cell unit discovered that the cell staining method takes two minutes to complete and results in 100 per cent agreement about results, compared with the conventional pap smear, which takes ten minutes and has an 85 per cent agreement rate.
Lead researcher Dr Nick Coleman explained that the new test could benefit women in some poorer countries who do not have access to the specialist equipment required for a pap smear.
He said: "A test that allows a laboratory technician to find these cells faster, more easily and with greater certainty should make cervical screening available to more women, as it is a lack of lab resources that prevents women from accessing this potentially life saving test."
Cervical cancer is responsible for 1,000 deaths each year in Britain, according to Cancer Research UK.
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