Qiagen, leading global provider of sample and assay technologies, and the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) have launched a collaborative project to establish the first large scale cervical cancer screening programme to cover an estimated 50,000 women in Kolkata over the next five years.

Qiagen, Netherlands based company, will provide its diagnostic tests for the human papillomavirus (HPV) - the primary cause of cervical cancer. CNCI will conduct the screening and provide appropriate treatment as needed, Dr Victor Shi, the company's president for Asia told Pharmabiz in an interaction.

"India has more cervical cancer cases than any other country in the world. The WHO estimates that every year in India over 130,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 74,000 die from it. This represents approximately 1/4 of the world's total cervical cancer cases and mortality. The WHO estimates that only about 5 per cent of women in the developing world have been screened for cervical disease in the previous five years, compared to 40-50 per cent in the developed world. Consequently, 80 per cent of the 300,000 annual cervical cancer related deaths occur in developing countries. However, this can be changed, since cervical cancer is a preventable disease," he said.

The partnership between Qiagen and the CNCI to establish cervical cancer screening in Kolkata is part of a broader programme called Qiagencares, which aims to improve access to screening methods for infectious diseases in emerging and developing countries. Qiagen will provide funding and its diagnostic kits for HPV testing based upon the company's hybrid capture 2 (hc2) HPV DNA testing technology (also known as the digene HPV Test), while the CNCI will conduct the screening and provide appropriate treatment as needed. Qiagen and the CNCI will also join forces to roll-out educational campaigns to raise awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, and other women's health issues.

The initiative will be conducted over five years and is expected to provide screening to 50,000 women, he said.

"Our corporate social responsibility programme, known as Qiagencares, was created to expand access to our molecular diagnostic products, such as our HPV test, to do just that. Our commitment to fight cervical cancer encompasses the donation of 1 million HPV test kits to expand access to HPV screening in the world's poorest countries in cooperation with leading public health institutions and health non-governmental organizations, the development of next-generation HPV technologies including the careHPV test designed specifically for low-resource regions and tiered-pricing initiatives," he said.

The project will use Qiagen's hybrid capture 2 (hc2) HPV DNA testing technology (also known as the digene HPV Test) to screen women for cancer-causing types of HPV to identify those with or at risk for developing cervical cancer. Participating women will also be screened using VIA (visual inspection with acetic acid). Screening will take place at community-based mobile field clinics in the villages neighbouring Kolkata. Women found to have cervical cancer or pre-cancer will be immediately treated at the field clinic - a process referred to as 'screen and treat' - or referred to the CNCI for follow up.