The Art of Women's Health Television Series

Scientific research often leads to the development of new lab tests that are able to identify diseases earlier, and with increased precision. For example, it is now known that certain "high-risk" strains of a virus, the human papillomavirus (HPV) are the cause of virtually all cases of cervical cancer. A laboratory test is now available to determine if a patient has an infection with these high-risk HPV strains. Women infected with these strains can be monitored closely and treated early — before abnormal cell changes become more serious.

The best way to stay up-to-date on current lab testing options, such as the HPV test, is to talk to your doctor regularly about the things you can do to help maintain your health, including lab screening tests that are appropriate for you based on your age, gender, history and risk factors.

To run a test, some of the patient's blood, urine or cells needs to be collected, so it can be analyzed at the laboratory. The blood, urine or cells collected is called the "sample."

A sample of Maria's cervical cells is needed for the High-Risk HPV DNA test. Maria's physician can collect these cells at the same time he collects cells for Maria's Pap test. Just like with a Pap test, a collection device is inserted into the cervix to collect cells for testing. The cervical cells are placed into a vial, which is labeled for identification and then sent to a Quest Diagnostics laboratory for evaluation.

Maria's sample will be picked up at her physician's office by a Quest Diagnostics employee, called a courier, who brings it to one of our laboratories.

Once Maria's sample is delivered to the laboratory, information about her sample is entered into our computers, such as the date the sample was collected, and the type of test her physician has ordered. Then her sample is prepared for testing, and is analyzed.

The science and technology used to analyze a patient's sample varies based on the type of test being done. The HPV test Maria is having performed is the Hybrid Capture® 2 (hc2) technology test which is manufactured by Digene Corporation. This is currently the only FDA approved HPV test and it detects the presence of the 13 most prevalent cancer-causing, high-risk HPV types. The hc2 High-Risk HPV DNA Test uses DNA molecular technology to accurately detect the presence of HPV even before visible cell changes occur.

Once the test has been processed and the result is determined, the report is sent to Maria's doctor. Her doctor will interpret the laboratory test result (that is, determine the meaning) in conjunction with other relevant information about her medical history, physical examination, and other test results, and provide her with medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Visit our patient FAQ page to learn more about how test results are delivered.