AMA Update

New tools, new hope: Tackling cervical cancer with self-collection screening

July 31, 2025

In a recent episode of the AMA Update podcast, Dr. Ritu Nayar, professor of pathology at Northwestern and CAP board member, spoke with AMA’s Todd Unger about rising cervical cancer rates and the promise of new screening tools. While overall U.S. incidence remains low, rates are increasing 1.7% annually among women aged 30 to 44. Disparities persist, with significantly higher mortality among women in poverty, rural areas, and Black women.

Dr. Nayar emphasized the importance of HPV vaccination and highlighted a game-changing development: FDA-approved self-collection kits for HPV screening, including a newly authorized at-home dry swab option. These tools offer comparable sensitivity to clinician-collected samples and could expand access, especially for underserved populations. However, uptake of primary HPV screening remains under 5%, and implementation will require provider education, workflow changes, and patient follow-up systems.

NCI’s SHIP trial is evaluating self-collection across diverse U.S. populations to inform future practice. Dr. Nayar urges physicians to stay current with evolving guidelines and ensure patients understand that self-collection is for asymptomatic, average-risk individuals and doesn’t replace routine care.

Source:

Unger, T. [Host] (2025, July 24). AMA Update. Rising cervical cancer rates and a new at-home screening test for cervical cancer.[Podcast]. https://www.ama-assn.org/public-health/chronic-diseases/rising-cervical-cancer-rates-and-new-home-screening-test-cervical