Cytology
Leading Edge Technology
PA Labs offers leading-edge technology to best serve its customers:
- Thin Prep Pap Test and the Thin Prep Imaging System for Pap testing
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is available on Thin Prep vials
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing is available on Thin Prep vials
- Internet based solutions allow fast, 24 hours/day access to results
Thin Prep Pap Test
The ThinPrep® Pap Test is the only liquid-based cytology method approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as "significantly more effective" than the conventional Pap smear for detection of cervical abnormalities. Even more importantly, the ThinPrep Pap Test is currently the only liquid-based cytology method approved by the FDA for human papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia and Gonorrhea (CT/NG) testing, and is the most widely used method for cervical cancer screening in the United States.
While the conventional Pap smear has long been a fixture of preventive healthcare and has saved countless lives that may otherwise have been lost to cervical cancer, the ThinPrep Pap Test is significantly more effective in detecting the precursors to cervical cancer than the conventional Pap smear.
The ThinPrep System improves the quality of the sample by preparing a slide that is more suitable for the diagnostic review process. Because a ThinPrep Pap Test slide is easier to read, it can help to increase the level of review accuracy for either a manual or computer-aided imaging review that assesses and identifies abnormal cells.
Over the past decade, the ThinPrep Pap Test has become the standard of care, with over 87% of physicians using the ThinPrep Pap Test for their patients.
ThinPrep Imaging System
When a cervical abnormality is present but not detected, it is called a "false negative." Approximately one third of false negative Pap results are due to abnormal cells being missed or misclassified. The accuracy of cervical cytology screening has improved with computer imaging technology. Computerized Pap screening technology uses computer-aided imaging to assist the cytotechnologist's examination of ThinPrep Pap Test specimens.
The ThinPrep Imaging System was approved for use by the FDA in 2003 to assist in primary cervical cancer screening for cancerous and pre-cancerous cells. This system is an interactive computer system that combines imaging technology with an automated microscope to facilitate the identification of diagnostic fields of interest. The ThinPrep Imaging System provides Dual ReviewT whereby both the Imager and a cytotechnologist review every slide. Every cell and cell cluster is scanned to identify areas of interest for further review by the cytotechnologist This allows the cytotechnologist to better focus interpretive skills on these defined areas.
The ThinPrep Imaging System is designed to reduce false negative test results and human error. In addition, the combination of the ThinPrep Pap Test and the ThinPrep Imaging System provides a more accurate diagnosis. The process achieves a higher level of certainty in cervical screening and improves diagnostic capability for greater accuracy.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea (CT/NG) Testing
PA Labs offers Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing from the Thin Prep vial and also from traditional swab collection devices.
HPV is the most significant causative agent for cervical cancer. There is a definitive link between infection with certain types of HPV and cervical cancer and its precursors. Infection with HPV can cause changes in cervical cells that can be detected through Pap testing. A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute concluded that HPV testing is a viable method for determining which patients with borderline Pap results (also known as ASCUS) are at highest risk for developing cancer.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are two of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States PA Labs offers Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing from the Thin Prep vial, from urine, and also from a traditional swab collection device.