In the latest issue of Frauenheilkunde Aktuell, the biannual magazine of the SGGG (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe; en., Swiss Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics), the society’s president, Professor Michael D. Mueller, discusses the innovative WID-easy Test with Professor Martin Widschwendter, Director of the European Translational Oncology Prevention & Screening Institute (EUTOPS).
Professor Widschwendter provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of endometrial carcinoma detection.
Challenges in Detecting Endometrial Carcinoma
Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynecological malignancy, and the rapidly increasing incidence of non-endometrioid corpus carcinomas, which have a particularly poor prognosis, is exceptionally concerning.
So far, there is no specific screening method for this type of cancer. – For women presenting with abnormal bleeding, the current guidelines recommend a combination of clinical examination, cytology, and transvaginal sonography. These methods, however, are highly dependent on the examiner’s experience. Furthermore, the specificity of transvaginal sonography varies between 25.7% and 42.1%.
The WID-easy Test: A Diagnostic Advancement
The WID-qEC, also known as the WID®-easy Test, is based on DNA methylation analysis in cervicovaginal smears and shows high sensitivity and specificity. Two gene regions are entirely methylated in the presence of carcinoma, facilitating diagnosis.
In a study published by Evans et al. last year in The Lancet Oncology, the test showed a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 97% in women aged 45 and older with abnormal bleeding. This represents a significant improvement over the results of transvaginal sonography. The WID-qEC test could drastically reduce the number of unnecessary surgical interventions.
Practical Implications and Significance
The WID-easy Test could significantly improve the diagnosis and treatment of endometrial carcinoma. Women with a positive test result should quickly undergo histological diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Conversely, women with a negative test result can initially be treated and monitored conservatively. Overall, the test could reduce the rate of unnecessary surgical interventions by over 90%.
Delayed detection, particularly of this type of cancer, can have severe consequences: a one-month delay in diagnosis and treatment could result in 117 additional deaths per year in England alone, excluding the rest of the United Kingdom. A six-month delay could increase this number to 939.
For detailed information and the full interview, read the article here or click on the image below:
