A new swab test could alleviate the need for invasive procedures in hundreds of thousands of UK women annually who may have womb cancer. Each year, around 800,000 women visit a GP due to abnormal uterine bleeding and undergo uncomfortable and stressful tests to identify the cause. The innovative WID-easy test, developed by Professor Martin Widschwendter from University College London, offers the same accuracy as an ultrasound in detecting womb cancer. Using a simple swab method, the test reduces false positives by 87%. Currently used in private medical clinics and health facilities in Austria and Switzerland, if adopted by the NHS, it could expedite the diagnosis or rule-out process for womb cancer, thus minimizing patients’ discomfort and the burden on the health service. The test is particularly beneficial for Black women, demonstrating higher accuracy compared to ultrasound in diagnosing womb cancer. It has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and also looks for specific “barcodes” on DNA methylation to detect cancer cells. Womb cancer diagnoses have surged by 60% since the 1990s, with three-quarters of diagnoses occurring in women over 55. Factors such as obesity, a diet high in processed foods, estrogen-only HRT, no children, and late menopause contribute to the risk. The charity Eve Appeal, which funded the research, echoes the potential for the test to significantly reduce patient stress, anxiety, and further investigations.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/04/swab-test-could-help-uk-women-avoid-invasive-checks-for-womb-cancer