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Studies have shown that ThinPrep® Pap Test increases detection of precancerous cells over the conventional Pap smear.

The ThinPrep® Pap Test is the most widely used method for cervical cancer screening in the United States. It was developed to address the limitations of the conventional Pap smear, and after rigorous clinical trials, it was approved in May 1996 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a replacement for the conventional Pap smear. The ThinPrep® Pap Test is the only liquid-based cytology method approved by the FDA as "significantly more effective" than the conventional Pap smear for detection of cervical abnormalities.

Most importantly, since FDA approval, more than 170 studies have been published, in peer-reviewed medical journals, demonstrating a wide range of clinical benefits of the ThinPrep® Pap Test including increased disease detection, reduction of equivocal diagnoses, improved specimen adequacy and the ability to perform additional tests out of the same vial. ThinPrep® Pap Test is currently the only liquid-based cytology method approved by the FDA for HPV, CTNG testing and improved detection of glandular lesions.

To date there have been more than 30 studies published in peer-reviewed journals, reporting on nearly 400,000 patients that show a significant increase in the detection of both low grade and high grade lesions using the ThinPrep® Pap Test compared to the conventional Pap smear.

ThinPrep® Process
1. Dispersion: Randomizes/homogenizes patient population within the vial
2. Cell Collection: ThinPrep® software monitors the flow rate and senses when pores are blocked by material (red blood cells [RBCs], white blood cells [WBCs], and epithelial cells).
3. Cell Transfer: Cylinder is inverted and filter comes in contact with glass slide. Air pressure from behind the filter aids the cell's natural attraction to the glass slides.

Clinical Studies
IMPROVES SAMPLE QUALITY AND DETECTION OF ABNORMALITIES OVER CONVENTIONAL PAP SMEARS.*

Method:
Meta-analysis of 25 articles published between 1990-2000 comparing diagnostic cytology and specimen adequacy of the two tests for 67,484 patients.

Findings:
Odds ratios favored the ThinPrep® Pap Test over the conventional Pap smear in regard to the diagnosis of LSIL and HSIL; adequacy was improved in the ThinPrep® Pap Test group in all trials.

"... ThinPrep appears to be a superior method of evaluating uterine cervix cytologic abnormalities with regard to low-grade and high-grade lesions, as well as a better means of obtaining specimen adequacy for improved evaluation." -Bernstein SJ, Sanchez-Ramos L, Ndubisi B

* Bernstein SJ, Sanchez-Ramos L, Ndubisi B. Liquid-based cervical cytologic smear study and conventional Papanicolaou smears: A metaanalysis of prospective studies comparing cytologic diagnosis and sample adequacy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2001;185:308-317.

Conventional Pap Smear

Microscopically, the uneven distribution of cellular material associated with the Conventional Pap Smear pattern is evident.

ThinPrep® Pap Test

This slide is the from the same patient as the slide above. Tissue architecture is maintained. ThinPrep® rearranges the relationship of cell groups on the glass slide. A group/sheet of endocervical cells present represents this.