Roche announced the FDA approval of its human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection solution, one of the first available in the United States. Screening for HPV can help identify women who are at risk of developing cervical cancer so that the disease can be found and treated early before cervical cancer has a chance to develop. HPV self-collection offers an accessible screening option.

In a healthcare setting, an individual collects their own vaginal sample, which is sent to a laboratory for analysis with Roche?s cobas® molecular instrument. Those who receive a positive HPV result would then continue their care with a healthcare provider. More than half the patients diagnosed with cervical cancer in the U.S. have never been screened or have only been screened infrequently, and they do not participate in routine screening.

Many factors can contribute to individuals not participating in cervical cancer screening programs, such as access to healthcare, social and economic barriers, history of traumatic experience, cultural concerns and embarrassment. Roche?s self-collection solution can help reduce these barriers by offering an alternative to clinician collection procedures, while also providing accurate and reliable results enabling clinicians to make patient care decisions.