FDA approves
cervical cancer screening device

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the Luma Cervical Imaging System, an optical device used to screen for early signs of cervical cancer. The device is more accurate at identifying precancerous lesions on a woman's cervix than traditional colposcopy procedures, according to studies, allowing doctors to catch the earliest signs of the disease. The device is made by Lexington, Mass.-based MediSpectra.

Virtually all cases of cervical cancer are linked to certain strains of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. The FDA is currently reviewing an HPV vaccine called Gardasil, made by Merck, which could protect against several HPV strains and prevent more than 70% of cervical cancer cases. A decision by the agency on the vaccine is expected by the summer. Cervical cancer is an AIDS-defining condition among HIV-positive women. (The Advocate)