The war against cervical cancer has received a major boost after research confirmed the disease can be tested using urine.

One of the testing techniques currently, pap smear, involves putting an equipment through the vagina to harvest tissues from the cervix that are then tested. However, this method has discouraged many women from undergoing cancer screening due to embarrassment.

But a study of 502 women published by the American Cancer Society has revealed that urine-based testing detects the virus that causes the cancer just as accurately as testing tissues from the cervix.

This development is expected to fast-track adoption of urine-based testing for the disease around the world. The cancer is caused by certain strains of the Human Papilloma Virus spread through sex.

"The results demonstrate that urinary HPV testing provides highly satisfactory results for excluding the possibility of any cervical HPV infections, regardless of a woman's age, race, or excess body weight, " said Chandrika Piyathilake of the University of Alabama in the US.

He added: "This test could be more attractive to women because it bypasses medical examination, a significant barrier for women in the developing world for sociocultural or religious reasons."

The study indicated the test is accurate no matter the age, body weight and race, a significant milestone that had not been achieved by previous studies on urine-based testing.

Reacting to the study, Dr John Ong'ech, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the Kenyatta National Hospital, said they welcome the new way of testing cervical cancer even though it is yet to be approved by the World Health Health Organisation (WHO).

Enhance awareness

"In my experience, it is only a few women who fear undergoing pap smear. More efforts are also needed to enhance awareness about the disease and the need for screening."

He added: "Currently, policy makers should focus on expanding access to the current available tools to screen for cervical cancer including pap smear and visual inspection with acetic acid. They are not available in many parts of the country or not affordable to many Kenyans."

Ministry of Health guidelines for cancer management released recently show cervical cancer is one of the top three cancer killers in the country.

Data from the WHO shows this cancer is 10 times more prevalent in Kenya than the United States.