Will new human papillomavirus diagnostics improve cervical cancer control efforts?

With the causal link between specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer firmly established, efforts have turned to assessing the relative merits of offering HPV testing in screening, triage, and posttreatment management. Many unanswered questions remain, but a growing body of evidence supports a role for HPV testing in cervical cancer prevention programs. Already, clinical centers that serve thousands of women in Europe and the United States have incorporated HPV DNA tests in triage algorithms.