Abbott's RealTime High Risk HPV Test is Now Available in Europe for Primary Screening for Cervical Cancer

Abbott's DNA test for the detection of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR HPV) is now available in Europe as an important tool for first-line screening. The test is able to identify women at increased risk for development of cervical cancer or the presence of high-grade disease.

The Abbott RealTime High Risk HPV test has been clinically validated in many significant studies conducted in European countries in recent years and the intended use has been expanded to include first-line primary screening.¹ According to research, HPV primary screening has several benefits compared to the current method of examining cervical samples (called Pap smear or cervical cytology). Most importantly, it allows physicians to identify more women with abnormal cervical cells and if HPV isn't present, rule out the possibility of a patient developing cervical cancer in the next few years.²

The primary cause of cervical cancer is infection with human papillomavirus (HPV).³ HPV is extremely common that experts estimate the majority of sexually active men and women contract HPV sometime in their lives. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide and, for Europe as a whole, it is estimated that there are approximately 60,000 new cases, and 25,000 deaths from cervical cancer every year.⁴ Although most (about 90 percent) HPV infections are transient and resolve without treatment because the body is able to clear the infection, unresolved HPV infections may cause genital warts and cervical cancer. Women showing precancerous cervical cell changes caused by HPV can be treated to remove the abnormal cells.

Abbott's RealTime High Risk HPV assay has been available in Europe since 2008 on the company’s automated m2000 RealTime System.

For more information, click on the 'request information' tab below or follow the company website link.



1. Poljak M. & Oštrbenk A., Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Panonica Adriat 2013; 22: 43-47
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24192252
3. www.ecca.info/cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer-rates.html, Accessed March 2013
4. http://www.hpvcentre.net/parser.php?xml=M2_Cervical